Ethanol is critical to the Midwest. The industry contributes $50 billion to the gross domestic product of the United States every year, supports 400,000 jobs, and purchases approximately half of all the corn grown in the country. 

Agriculture remains at the heart of our U.S. economy. According to the USDA, corn production in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota alone provides a total value of nearly $38 billion. (Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota)

By purchasing half of the corn grown in U.S., the ethanol industry helps maintain strong commodity prices and strong land values. 

Opponents of carbon capture and storage projects have gone on the record advocating for the elimination of the ethanol industry. 

• Sierra Club: “Sierra Club believes that the use of ethanol serves to extend our reliance on fossil fuels, thus contributing to climate change.” (Source: See here)“[Carbon capture and storage] will extend the life of the polluting ethanol industry and industrial agriculture practices that have contributed to our climate crisis, water pollution and more.” (Source: See here)
• Food and Water Watch: “Summit also asserts that its project will enhance the long-term viability of the ethanol industry, despite the ethanol industry’s tremendous harms to biodiversity due to intensive monocultural (corn only) production” (Source: See here)