WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. ethanol industry produced a record 16.4 billion gallons in 2025. 

According to the Renewable Fuels Association’s newly-released analysis, ethanol grew as exports surged and domestic consumption stayed strong.

In 2025, the industry directly supported 79,000 U.S. jobs, along with an additional 237,000 indirect and induced jobs across all sectors of the economy, the report said. The industry created $28 billion in household income, contributed $50 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product, and generated nearly $10 billion in tax revenues at the federal, state and local levels.

The report also calculated that the industry spent $24 billion on 5.5 billion bushels of corn and grain sorghum alone, as the industry continued to support America’s farming communities, according to officials.

“As this analysis shows, American-made ethanol remains an important part of the nation’s economy, supporting good-paying jobs, many in rural areas, while providing consumers with cleaner, lower-cost fuel options,” said Geoff Cooper, RFA president and CEO.

“At a time when American farmers are facing the worst financial conditions in nearly 50 years, the ethanol industry continued to serve as a crucial economic driver in agricultural communities across the country,” he added. 

In 2025, construction or expansion of plants to provide an additional 275 million gallons of annual ethanol production was also ongoing during the year, or underway at the end of the year, according to the report.

The report said “the industry’s economic and other benefits can grow further, if mid-level blends such as E15 are allowed to be sold year-round, export markets continue to be opened, and new uses, such as in marine and aviation fuel, are developed.” 

Alan Dunn, Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) president and a fifth-generation Michigantown, Ind., corn and soybean farmer, told Farm World, the ICGA works closely with partners such as the RFA to boost production and demand for ethanol.

“ICGA applauds the Renewable Fuels Association’s recently released report on the contributions of the ethanol industry to the U.S. economy in 2025,” he said. “Indiana’s growth in the ethanol sector aligns with the findings in the report.” 

He said Indiana’s 15 biorefineries produce an estimated 1.4 billion gallons of ethanol each year. In 2025, 42 percent of Indiana’s corn crop went into those biorefineries to make ethanol, adding that the value of Indiana corn exported through ethanol is $217.8 million.

“Creating consumer demand for ethanol is another crucial task,” he said. “There are 288 fuel stations in Indiana that offer E85, and 93 stations offer E15. 

In 2025, three Indiana ethanol biorefineries have announced expansions, and plants across the state are pursuing carbon-capture projects, Dunn added. “The cumulative effect of this growth will be increased corn basis prices in these regions. ICGA will continue to advocate for state and federal policies to support the growth of the ethanol sector.”

Mark Mueller, Iowa Corn Growers Association president and fourth-generation Waverly, Iowa, farmer, told Farm World, “The RFA report reveals that the ethanol industry supported 315,000 full-time jobs and processed 5.5 billion bushels of corn in 2025, reinforcing its status as a vital economic engine for Iowa farmers.

“Iowa corn growers continue to produce a record-breaking corn crop, while ethanol demand has remained stagnant for a decade, highlighting the urgent need for expanded E15 access and ultra-low carbon technologies,” he said. “To sustain our rural communities, we must unlock these new growth opportunities to ensure this critical market keeps pace with our record production.”

In fact, on March 3, as U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright prepared for a White House meeting to discuss high gas prices, Iowa’s corn growers and renewable fuel leaders offered what they called a “no-brainer” solution for immediate relief: nationwide, year-round access to E15.

“As the conflict with Iran has sent oil prices skyrocketing, year-round access to E15 offers immediate relief,” Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Renewable Fuels Association officials said in a March 3 joint statement to Wright and the U.S. Department of Energy. “On average, E15 saves drivers $0.25 per gallon at the pump, compared to standard E10 (which is a low-level blend composed of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline). 

“During peak travel seasons, those savings have even reached $1 per gallon in certain regions,” the statement said. “Nationwide adoption would reduce consumer spending on motor fuel by $20.6 billion annually, putting an average of $168 back into the pockets of every American household each year.

“We urge the White House to make nationwide E15 step one on their plan to combat high fuel prices,” the statement added. “As a homegrown fuel solution, E15 will benefit consumers, provide stronger markets for farmers, and cost the U.S. government nothing.”