The ethanol industry piled up major losses starting in March — ones that rippled through farm communities around rural America — when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now as Congress works to draft federal support for businesses adversely affected by the pandemic, industry stakeholders are seeking a share of federal aid to help the industry catch up from the downturn that saw ethanol consumption fall by as much as half earlier this year. One option looking ahead is the distribution of Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) funds to help ethanol producers make up for lost revenue, something increasingly likely once former Iowa Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack again assumes the latter role in 2021. See more.