The Nebraska ethanol industry produced over 2.25 billion gallons in 2019, resulting in a value of production for ethanol and co-products of greater than $4.04 billion, according to a new University of Nebraska–Lincoln study estimating the industry’s impact in 2018 and 2019. The overall economic impact of the Nebraska ethanol industry is over $4.5 billion.

Gallons produced and value of production in 2019 both increased over 2017, the year of the previous report, when the state produced over 2.07 billion gallons of ethanol, valued at $3.76 billion.

“Nebraska’s ethanol industry remains an important market in Nebraska, trailing only corn and cattle,” said Kate Brooks, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and a co-author of the study. “While the industry experienced weakened ethanol prices in 2018 and 2019, it has shown resilience through continued expansion in total capacity and diversification of co-products.”

According to the study, Nebraska continues to rank as the second-largest ethanol-producing state in the nation. The overall value of ethanol and ethanol co-products averages 64% of corn production, 33% of cattle production and 131% of soybean production, making ethanol the third-largest agricultural industry in the state.

To learn more about the study results, visit Nebraska Today.

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