KIMT NEWS 3 - The ethanol industry took a hard hit during the pandemic, but is starting to see some signs of slow recovery as states reopen and more people drive their vehicles again.

Ethanol production has increased five weeks straight according to numbers from the Renewable Fuels Association.

KIMT News 3 spoke to ethanol association Growth Energy about the current state of the biofuels industry. The Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs explains there's a long road to recovery, but he's feeling confident about new data. "People are starting to drive more. Fuel demand is starting to come back, but we have a long ways to go. We're still down I think 25 percent give or take," says Chris Bliley.

Growth Energy is also seeing data that more people will be driving to their summer vacation destinations, which is good news for the biofuels industry.

Bliley tells KIMT the best ways you can support local ethanol producers and farmers is by filling up your tank with a higher biofuel blend if your vehicle can handle it, and discuss the constributions of your local ethanol producer in your community with your neighbors.

To help scrape by during the pandemic, biofuels producers have emphasized their abilities to produce alcohol for hand sanitizer and capture carbon dioxide for dry ice and food storage.