Welcome to the Students & Teachers section of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) Web site. The RFA is committed to increasing the production and use of ethanol in the U.S. As part of that commitment we have dedicated this section of our Web site to students and educators interested in learning more about ethanol and its many benefits to our economy, environment and energy security.


Ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, (CH₃CH₂OH) is a renewable alcohol fuel made from abundant agricultural resources.





In the U.S. ethanol is primarily produced from the starch contained in grains such as corn, grain sorghum, and wheat through a fermentation and distillation process that converts starch to sugar and then to alcohol. Ethanol can also be produced from food and beverage processing wastes, and research is underway that will enable the production of ethanol from cellulose, including corn stalks, rice straw and switchgrass.

Click here to learn how ethanol is made.

Click here for facts about ethanol.