Maps and Data

This chart shows the number of ethanol plants in the U.S. from 1999 through 2014. The capacity of these plants has been increasing at a faster rate than has the number of plants, meaning the average plant size is increasing. Production is remarkably close to plant capacity, especially considering that both are tracked at the end of each year, so plants built late in the year contribute largely towards capacity but only partially toward production. Production dropped in 2012 due to a drought that reduced the corn crop.