A recently completed survey by the California Energy Commission shows that a major expansion of the ethanol industry in the United States is underway.  The survey of 84 ethanol companies found that the industry's present production capacity of 2.2 billion gallons would double in four years.  Capacity is planned to grow to 3.0 billion gallons by the end of 2002; 4.0 billion gallons by the end of 2003; 4.2 billions gallons by the end of 2004; and 4.4 billion gallons by the end of 2005.  

The increase in ethanol production is due to the expansion of existing plants and new plants that will begin coming on line this year.  Right now, 13 new plants are under construction and 33 additional new plants are in the planning stages, the survey said.
Plant expansions, when completed as scheduled, will add 633 million gallons of additional ethanol production capacity by 2005.  The 13 new plants under construction will add 387 million gallons of capacity.  Projects still being planned will add up to 1,198 million more gallons of new capacity in 2005.

The document, U.S. Ethanol Industry Production Capacity Outlook, is available from the Commission's website at: www.energy.ca.gov/ethanol/documents/