Ethanol Industry Takes Hit

The major changes in people's travel habits is ravaging world fuel markets.

Plunging drastically.

A barrel is now worth less than negative 37- dollars.

The major changes in people's travel habits is ravaging world fuel markets.

Kimt news 3's annalise johnson is speaking to an ethanol association feeling the impact.

She joins us live.

Annalise?

Live ethanol-live vo-2 amy - i'm here at the holiday gas station on north broadway in rochester.

With many people staying inside during stay-at-home orders - people aren't driving their vehicles nearly as much as they used to.

Besides trips to the grocery stores - there's not many places open to travel to.

Ethanol-live vo-1 ethanol-live vo-4 ethanol producers - and therefore the farmers selling their corn - are suffering big losses.

I spoke to chris bliley - senior vice president of regulatory affairs for growth energy - an ethanol association.

Poet biorefineries - with local production plants in southeastern minnesota and north iowa - is involved with this national association.

Bliley says half of production is down.

The association would like the government to help increase ethanol demand during this time - by implementing the renewable fuel standards so higher biofuel blends enter the market - for example.

Ethanol-live sot-1 these are times that are certainly dark for our producers and they need the assistance from the department of agriculture and our government ethanol-live sot-3 there are ways you can support your local ethanol plants during this time.

Many of them have starting converting alcohol into hand sanitizer to sell... and if you have a vehicle that takes ethanol - buy a higher grade of biofuel when you're filling up.

Live in rochester- annalise johnson-kimt news 3.

/ / thank you annalise.

According to analysis from the renewable fuels association - ethanol sales could see more than 10-billion dollars in losses this year.

Enjoy downtown-stinger-3 as we look to