Bennet Continues 'Fighting for Colorado Families' Tour with Visit to Yuma Ethanol Facility

Yuma, CO -Michael Bennet, U.S. Senator for Colorado, toured the Yuma Ethanol Facility today and met with employees and representatives of the Colorado Corn Growers and Growth Energy to discuss ethanol, biofuels and the move towards a clean energy economy.

"Yuma Ethanol is a just another example of how Colorado is leading the way in the development of renewable energy. Their efforts also demonstrate how rural communities will play a critical role in the new energy economy," Bennet said. "As we move towards a clean energy economy, it is important that the concerns and ideas of our rural communities are heard."

Yuma Ethanol is the third ethanol plant to be built in the state of Colorado and is owned by local investors, including farmers and ranchers from Northeastern Colorado. The plant is designed to produce 40 million gallons of ethanol annually. In addition, the plant produces about 350,000 of distiller's wet grain.

The plant has 30 employees and operates 24 hours a day. Each day 48,000 bushels of corn are used in ethanol production. Each bushel of corn produces 2.8 gallons of ethanol. The distiller's grain produced as a co-product of ethanol is highly sought after by the areas cattle feeders for its high protein levels. Approximately 110 trucks arrive at the plant each day to deliver corn, take distiller's grain to cattle feeders and transport ethanol to refineries.