The Renewable Fuels Association said that the U.S. ethanol industry set an all-time monthly production record in April of 179,000 barrels per day, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The previous all-time record was 177,000 bpd in January of this year. Production was up 42 percent compared to last April when 126,000 bpd of ethanol were produced.

“It is increasingly clear that New York and Connecticut will be switching from MTBE to ethanol at the end of this year and the ethanol industry will be ready,” said Bob Dinneen, RFA president.

“The Northeastern market for ethanol could be well over 400 million gallons in 2004. That transition will likely begin the fourth quarter of this year. Given our current rate of growth, there is simply no question the ethanol industry is prepared to meet the Northeast demand for clean-burning, renewable ethanol.”

The ethanol industry is expected to produce more than 2.6 billion gallons in 2003, up from a record annual production of 2.13 billion gallons in 2002.