News

USGC is using ATP funds to expand ethanol programs

The U.S. Grains Council is expanding its ethanol programs with the help of Agricultural Trade Promotion (ATP) program funding

USGC ethanol programs received the largest portion of the council’s ATP award of more than $20 million dollars.

Mike Dwyer, chief economist for the U.S. Grains Council, says the council is investing in ethanol programs because ethanol is the fastest growing ag export.  

“Ethanol is the fastest growing export. Over the past 5 years it grew by 18 percent per year, and over the past 10 years it grew by 13 percent per year when adjusted for volatility,” he says. “There’s almost no volatility in ethanol exports over the past five years.”

Brian Healy, manager of ethanol export market development with U.S. Grains Council, says funding will allow USGC to scale up global engagement.

“So it’s taking that and applying it to countries that we’re already in, applying it to new countries that have potential that we’re not currently in, and scaling up to what is now an $11 million program,” he says. “Our goal is to grow the global use of ethanol.”

USGC is working to build recognition of U.S. biofuels

Healy says there’s still work to be done to achieve the goal of exporting 4 billion gallons by 2022.