Vehicles on the I-5 in California need to get moving to boost Nebraska’s scarce ethanol industry.
The majority of the state’s ethanol is destined for the golden state because of the low-carbon fuel standard.
“Because we have low carbon-based ethanol here in Nebraska, and until we start seeing vehicle going up and down freeways in California, we’re going to a see a challenge to Nebraska’s ethanol industry,” Troy Bredenkamp, Renewable Fuels Nebraska’s executive director tells KLIN News.
Bredenkamp says more than half of the industry is shut down or idle leading to a $1.5 billion economic loss.
“The quicker we can get this all safely opened up again and the economy rolling again and people driving again, the better off Nebraska’s ethanol industry and Nebraska’s rural economy will be.
The state’s ethanol industry accounts for $5 billion to the Nebraska economy.
He added they didn’t receive any federal money from the $19 billion aid package to farmers.