ACE Scholarship Opens Applications for 2026 School Year
The American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) will award three $1,000 scholarships to employees, as well as dependents of employees and shareholders, of ACE Ethanol Producer, Voting, and Associate member companies and organizations in good standing. Established in 2004, the ACE Scholarship Program has awarded a total of $74,000 to students pursuing further education.
Applications must be submitted online by May 15, 2026. To apply, visit www.myscholarship.app/ethanol.
ACE Board Elections
A message on behalf of ACE Board Member Bill Dartt of Cardinal Ethanol, who chairs the ACE Nominating Committee: The 2026 ACE Board of Directors election will occur Aug. 19 during the ACE Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN. Representatives of ACE Voting Members and Ethanol Producers are eligible to be candidates to the ACE Board. Directors serve three-year terms. If you are interested, please contact Brian Jennings or Anna Carpenter in the ACE office. Thank you.
Dakota Ethanol Receives $1.5 Million Grant to Expand Output
ACE member Dakota Ethanol, LLC has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (SDGOED) to support an expansion of its ethanol plant in Wentworth, South Dakota. The project will increase the facility’s production capacity from 100 million gallons per year (MMgy) to 150 MMgy, according to a March 11 announcement from SDGOED.
The expansion will include the addition of four new fermentation tanks, along with related infrastructure upgrades, to accommodate the increased production capacity.
Funding for the project was approved through the state’s Reinvestment Payment Program, which supports initiatives expected to drive economic development and capital investment in South Dakota.
Dakota Ethanol began operations in 2001 with a nameplate capacity of 40 MMgy. Today, the facility operates at 100 MMgy, employs approximately 48 full-time workers, and purchases about 33 million bushels of locally grown corn annually.