(June 1, 2010)  Washington - U.S. ethanol production continued on a record pace in March. According to information from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), March 2010 ethanol production averaged more than 847,000 barrels per day (b/d). That is an increase of 207,000 b/d over March 2009.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association, also reached an all time high at 823,000 b/d in March, up from 644,000 b/d a year ago.

EIA also reports fuel ethanol imports of 1.1 million gallons in March.

As the RFA recently reported, America is exporting ethanol at record rates. According to data from the Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, and the Dept. of Agriculture Foreign Ag Service, the U.S. exported 48.3 million gallons of ethanol in March.

It is important to note export figures represent sum of “Ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength” and “Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80 percent vol. or higher.” Thus, the figures likely include ethyl alcohol exports for non-fuel industrial purposes. As such, RFA ethanol demand calculations are for domestic use only, providing a comparison to domestic ethanol production.

Augmenting previous reports, the RFA is also reporting U.S. ethanol exports in January and February 2010 of 13.5 million gallons and 21.7 million gallons, respectively.

The RFA released the following statistics:

March 2010 Statistics
(mg = million gallons; b/d = barrels per day)

Fuel Ethanol Production      1103.3 mg*      847,000 b/d
Fuel Ethanol Use                 1071.1 mg**     823,000 b/d
Fuel Ethanol Stocks               827.0 mg*        23.9 days of reserve
Fuel Ethanol Exports                48.3 mg***    n/a
Fuel Ethanol Imports                   1.1mg*

*Source: Energy Information Administration, Renewable Fuels Association
**Source: RFA calculations, does not include exports
***Source: Source: Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau, USDA-FAS; Export figures represent sum of “Ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength” and “Undenatured ethyl alcohol of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80 percent vol. or higher.” Thus, the figures likely include ethyl alcohol exports for non-fuel industrial purposes.

“American ethanol producers continue to answer the call for renewable alternatives to oil in record amounts,” said RFA President Bob Dinneen. “Yet, America's ability to utlize this renewable alternative is artificially capped while millions of gallons of oil spill into the Gulf of Mexico.  I urge the Obama Administration to move swiftly in approving the use of higher level ethanol blends for all vehicles.”