WASHINGTON — Fuel ethanol production capacity in the United States was nearly 15 billion gallons per year, or 973,000 barrels per day (b/d), at the beginning of 2016, according to the Energy Information Administration’s most recent U.S. Fuel Ethanol Plant Production Capacity report.
Actual U.S. production of fuel ethanol reached a total of 14.8 billion gallons (966,000 b/d) in 2015.
Total capacity of operable ethanol plants increased by more than 500 million gallons per year in January 2016, compared with January 2015.
The majority of the 195 ethanol plants, and most of the U.S. fuel ethanol production capacity, are located in the Midwest. Of the top 13 fuel ethanol-producing states, 12 are located in the Midwest. Total nameplate capacity in the Midwest was 13.5 billion gallons per year (883,000 b/d), an increase of more than 500 million gallons compared with 2015.
In EIA’s August Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), U.S. production of fuel ethanol was forecast to reach 15.1 billion gallons (982,000 b/d) in 2016, equivalent to slightly more than 100% utilization of reported nameplate capacity as of Jan. 1, 2016.
