Lee Blank is CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions
A little over a year ago, the Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll found that 85% of Iowans, or what the pollster characterized as a “giant majority,” believe that ethanol is critical or fairly important to the state’s economy. As someone who has been deeply involved in agriculture here in Iowa and across the Midwest, I share that opinion and take quite a bit of pride that a strong, bipartisan coalition has supported the ethanol industry in order to drive growth in our broader economy.
Today, ethanol producers support 50,000 Iowa jobs, contribute $6.1 billion to the state’s GDP every year, and purchase nearly 60% of the corn grown in the state. As the largest purchaser of corn, the strength of the ethanol industry is directly and inextricably tied to the strength of land values and commodity prices that are absolutely essential to the livelihood of every single Iowa farmer.
