MONROE — Badger State Ethanol announced recently the company has surpassed 1 billion gallons of ethanol production at its 85 million-gallon-per-year facility in Monroe. BSE began production in 2002 with a nameplate capacity of 40 million gallons per year. 

Although the ethanol industry has had more than its fair share of challenges over the past year, CEO and General Manager of BSE Erik Huschitt said reaching this milestone is a great opportunity to accentuate the good ethanol brings to local communities and the agricultural economy, as well as his appreciation for the support the company’s received along the way. 

Since its inception, BSE has returned value to its local investors, employed 50 people with high-skill, high-wage jobs, and provided a value-added market for area Wisconsin corn producers as well as a local outlet for commercial operations to conduct their grain business. BSE’s 1 billion gallons of ethanol production has provided a market for over 350 million bushels of corn.

BSE is one of nine ethanol plants in Wisconsin that together have a capacity of 585 million gallons per year and contribute over $1 billion to the state GDP. Wisconsin’s ethanol and DDGs production is valued at around $1 billion and its corn production at $1.66 billion, with ethanol having a $533 million impact on state household incomes. Wisconsin’s ethanol industry employs 7,745 full-time employees.