U.S. ethanol production reached yet another all time high in December 2009 at 787,000 barrels per day (b/d), according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). That is an increase of 131,000 b/d from December 2008.

Ethanol demand, as calculated by the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), fell to 750,000 b/d in December. EIA also reports fuel ethanol imports of 504,000 gal. in December.

For calendar year 2009, ethanol production exceeded 10.75 billion gallons.

“Despite trying economic circumstances, America’s ethanol producers once again rose up to meet the challenges the nation has put before it,” says RFA President Bob Dinneen. “Moving forward, once-idled facilities are restarting and new biorefineries are coming online to ensure that the volumes of ethanol called for in the Renewable Fuels Standard are met by domestic supplies.”

The RFA released the following statistics:

December 2009 (mg = million gallons; b/d = barrels per day)

(Source: Energy Information Administration, Renewable Fuels Association)