About NEB: Accomplishments

Developing Markets for Ethanol Fuels | Fostering Public Policy
Funding Research & Development | Working with Organizations
Incentive Programs

Twenty-three production plants scattered across Nebraska. More than 1,500 permanent jobs for Nebraskans. A market for over 600 million bushels of Nebraska grain. A high-value livestock feed that improves animal performance for Nebraska’s huge beef industry.

None of this existed in 1971 when Nebraska’s Legislature created what would become the Nebraska Ethanol Board. But it’s all here today—and it’s growing.

The Nebraska Ethanol Board has helped create, nurture, support and drive the ethanol industry in the state. By its own initiative—and by working in cooperation with other ethanol advocacy groups—the Nebraska Ethanol Board has helped turn Nebraska’s corn and sorghum fields into a renewable equivalent of Middle East oil fields. And that’s led to rural development, vigorous economic activity and increased value-added opportunities for Nebraska’s grain and livestock producers.

Developing Markets for Ethanol Fuels

The Nebraska Ethanol Board has spearheaded a number of consumer promotion and information campaigns for E-10 Unleaded and E-85 in Nebraska—and the NEB has worked in cooperation with other organizations to conduct promotional and marketing efforts. Additionally, the Nebraska Ethanol Board conducts outreach programs to markets and petroleum marketers outside Nebraska—letting them know that Nebraska is a reliable and competitive source of ethanol.

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Fostering Public Policy

The Nebraska Ethanol Board is a highly-respected contributor to the formulation of ethanol policy on the state, national and international levels. Members of the NEB board and staff have assumed leadership positions with national organizations, committees and task forces to help formulate strategies, tactics and policies focused on increasing the role of ethanol in the nation’s energy future.

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Funding Research & Development

During the past decade, the Nebraska Ethanol Board has been a leader in research and development related to the ethanol industry. Examples of innovative research supported by the Nebraska Ethanol Board include:

• Ethanol/diesel fuel blends in urban mass transit vehicles
• Analysis of gasoline components
• Test methods to detect ethanol in soil and water samples
• Performance characteristics of ethanol in racing engines
• Research to advance ethanol utilization technology
• Gasoline sample analysis at pipeline terminals
• Monitoring groundwater chemistry related to underground storage tank leakage
• Identifying chemical manufacturing process conditions
• Ethanol fuel for use in aviation applications
• General Motors fuel acidity testing
• Aqueous ethanol concentrations (parts per billion in groundwater)
• USDA grant assistance for Nebraska Bioclean project

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Working in Cooperation with Affiliated Organizations

The Nebraska Ethanol Board has a long history of cooperation with other groups interested in promoting ethanol and its related industries. The NEB has worked closely with commodity checkoff programs, ag membership organizations, livestock producer groups, automotive industry representatives, environmental interests and dozens of other entities to promote the production and use of ethanol and its co-products.

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Incentive Programs

Nebraska has a long history of providing incentives for ethanol development—and the success of these programs is evident in the dramatic growth of the industry across the state.

The current incentive program is the Ethanol Production Incentive Credit fund (EPIC fund). The EPIC fund receives revenue from various sources including excise taxes on grains and fertilizer, general funds and interest from investments. Ethanol plants who qualify under the statutory provisions of the EPIC fund can receive up to $22.5 million over eight years, based on actual ethanol production during that period. The qualification period for this program ended on June 30, 2004 and, as of now, there is no other incentive program available.