Iowa’s ethanol production remained flat for a third consecutive year in 2025, totaling 4.6 billion gallons, even as national output continued to rise, according to the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA). Industry data shows Iowa accounted for approximately 28 percent of U.S. ethanol production last year, as national production climbed to 16.4 billion gallons, the fifth straight annual increase. The state’s ethanol plants processed more than 1.5 billion bushels of corn into ethanol and co-products, including corn oil, high-protein livestock feed, and biogenic carbon dioxide. While Iowa’s biofuel output has held steady for three years, ethanol production nationwide has increased by about 850 million gallons. Recent plant expansions in states like Indiana, Illinois, North Dakota, and Nebraska have been credited to increased interest in carbon capture pipelines, and IRFA Director Monte Shaw says, “The states attracting significant investment have one thing in common – the ability to sequester carbon either locally or via pipeline infrastructure. While Iowa remains the largest ethanol-producing state, we are behind in the race to maximize the incentive and market benefits from producing ultra-low carbon ethanol.” Shaw suggests that if Iowa wants to remain at the top of biofuels production, the Iowa Legislature must avoid shutting the door entirely on pipelines like Summit Carbon Solutions’. Much of the discourse over that and similar projects has less to do with the pipeline itself and more to do with the use of eminent domain to force private landowners to allow access to their property. Legislators are optimistic they will find a solution to the pipeline question this session.
IRFA Says Iowa Leads Nation In Biofuels Production In 2025, But Other States Are Closing The Gap
