Renewable fuels production has dropped about 50% in Iowa through a combination of shutdowns and reduced output, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association estimates. Most of the production cut comes from ethanol, the organization said.
According to the Des Moines Register, the impact is significant in Iowa, the nation's largest producer of ethanol and biodiesel. About half of the state's corn production typically is used each year to make ethanol, and oil from its soybeans goes into biodiesel.
Nationally, experts predict fuel demand to decline as much as 55% due to the coronavirus shutdown. About 10% of every gallon of gasoline sold is ethanol.
