Largest ethanol producers by capacity in the U.S. 2024

Poet Biorefining is the largest ethanol producer in the United States. As of 2024, the South Dakota-based company had an ethanol production capacity of 2.7 billion gallons per annum across 33 plants in the Midwest. Ethanol is used in chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, and as a biofuel. 

U.S. fuel ethanol production

In 2023, U.S. ethanol producers reported an output of some 15.55 billion gallons of fuel ethanol. Fuel ethanol is specifically used as an additive in petroleum-based gasoline or as pure biofuel. In recent years, production seems to have stagnated, with annual volumes lower than the peak of more than 16 billion gallons reported in 2018. Iowa is the state with the largest number of ethanol biorefineries, followed by other Midwestern states.

The U.S.’ role in the global biofuel landscape

The U.S. is a biofuel producing powerhouse, contributing over 34 percent to global production of around 1.9 million barrels of oil equivalent. In 2022, the U.S. generated approximately 804,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, making it the leading biofuel producing country worldwide. Due to the feedstocks needed in ethanol and biodiesel production, namely starch, sugar, and oil crops, the largest biofuel producers are often those with great agricultural resources.