A study conducted by the University of Nebraska’s Department of Agricultural Economics along with the school’s Bureau for Business Research shows a $ 5 billion impact to the state’s economy from the ethanol industry. Nebraska Ethanol Board Administrator Todd Sneller says the report covering a five year period from 2010 to 2014 shows renewable fuels are very important to the state’s economic engine.

The report also shows there are 1300 people employed in the ethanol industry at an average wage that is 21 percent higher than the state’’s average manufacturing wage. Sneller says many of those are good quality jobs that are located in smaller communities.

Sneller says the results of this study prove that the Renewable Fuel Standard is a critical part of the country’’s federal public policy.