Siouxland Ethanol Speaks at Governor’s Conference

(American Coalition for Ethanol/Ethanol Producer Magazine) ... Each of the governors shared initiatives their states are implementing to support the use of ethanol-blended fuels during the conference. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds mentioned a test program for E30 in the Iowa Energy Plan. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, who recently keynoted ACE’s 30th annual conference in Omaha, expressed his optimism in working with the administration and the opportunity the biofuels industry possesses to further grow rural economies. South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard mentioned a state bid to bring E30 into the main state fleet fuel locations in Pierre, Brookings and Sioux Falls. He also mentioned that a greenfield ethanol plant, Ringneck Energy, is being constructed in Onida, South Dakota.

“It’s still a growth industry,” Gov. Daugaard said. “The ethanol plants’ balance sheets are strong, ready to grow, if we can just let the nation unleash them.”

The direct economic impact of the ethanol industry is calculated to be a combined total of more than $12 billion annually for Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota, with more than 80 plants in the tristate region producing more than 7.5 billion gallons of ethanol each year—almost half of the total annual production of ethanol nationwide. READ MORE