Ethanol production dips after tax credit ends

Des Moines Register
11:00 AM, Jan 11, 2012 by Dan Piller

Production of ethanol declined slightly after the 45-cent per gallon blenders tax credit expired on Jan. 1 for the week ending Jan. 6, but was still higher than a year earlier.

U.S. Department of Energy figures released Wednesday showed total production of 944,000 barrels per day of ethanol for the week ending Jan. 6, 19,000 barrels lower than the previous week. But a year ago on the same week production totaled 888,000 barrels per day.

Ethanol production had been strong in the final weeks of 2011 as corn prices moderated and blenders produced as much of the blended product as possible before the tax credit ended.

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