The Renewable Fuels Association congratulates member company Highwater Ethanol of Lamberton, Minn., for recently reaching a remarkable milestone. Earlier this month, Highwater produced its billionth gallon of ethanol, underscoring the company’s vital impact on the local economy and American energy security.
“We congratulate the investors and employees at Highwater Ethanol on this significant achievement, which highlights the company’s innovative spirit and the vital role it plays in the Minnesota economy,” said RFA President and CEO Geoff Cooper. “The Highwater team should take great pride in knowing they have provided millions of drivers with lower-cost, cleaner fuel while also delivering millions of tons of valuable animal feed co-products to livestock and poultry feeders. We are proud of their success and their contributions to America’s vibrant renewable fuels industry.”
Cooper noted that 1 billion gallons of ethanol is enough to fill nearly 35,000 railcars, an amount that would stretch from Minneapolis to Chicago. A typical ethanol biorefinery also creates more than $260 million in economic activity (GDP) each year, supports more than 1,300 jobs across all sectors of the economy, contributes more than $120 million to American household incomes, and boosts tax revenues to support local schools, hospitals, and other key infrastructure.
Highwater Ethanol began operations in 2009 and has an annual production capacity of 70 million gallons. In reaching its one-billion-gallon milestone, the plant has utilized more than 325 million bushels of locally grown corn and achieved an impressive average yield of 3.07 gallons of ethanol per bushel—exceeding the national average. Highwater’s longtime CEO, Brian Kletscher, also serves on the RFA Board of Directors.
