Estimated Economic Effects for the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Production Facility in Howard County Nebraska

December 2006

Prepared by:

Donis N. Petersan, Ph.D., CEcD

Economist

Economic Development Department

Nebraska Public Power District

1414 15th Street - Box 499

Columbus, Nebraska, 68602-0499

Telephone: (402) 563-5304 or (800) 282-6773

E-mail: dnpeter@nppd.com


 

Executive Summary

This report presents an analysis of the positive employment, income, and other economic effects expected to be associated with the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility to be located in Howard County, Nebraska. The methodology used to estimate the economic impacts associated with this facility utilized a Micro IMPLAN input-output model constructed for an eight-county area in central Nebraska, including Howard County along with the surrounding counties (Buffalo, Greeley, Hall, Merrick, Nance, Valley, and Sherman).

The positive employment and other economic effects associated with the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility are summarized in the continuing part of this Executive Summary. The economic effects considered in the analysis include the direct employment and other direct economic effects associated with the ethanol plant as well as the secondary economic effects. The first component of the secondary economic effects include the indirect effects which occur as a result of the additional employment and economic activity associated with “local” businesses supplying inputs to the planned ethanol production facility. The other component of the secondary effects captures the additional economic activity associated with the increased household income and the increased purchases by households as a result of the increased disposable income.

Employment Effects: The annual employment directly related to the operation of the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility is reported to be 50 employees (FTEs). When the secondary employment effects in other economic sectors are added, the total employment effects for the Howard County multi-county study area are estimated to be 182 jobs, including the 50 direct jobs in the ethanol plant and 132 secondary (83 indirect and 49 induced) jobs in other economic sectors. 5050838349490306090120150180Ethanol (Direct) Emp. Other Sectors Total Employment Induced Jobs Indirect Jobs Direct Jobs 50 132182Source: Computed from IMPLAN I-O Model for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC (Howard County) ethanol project study area. Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Project Employment Impacts 5050838349490306090120150180 Ethanol (Direct) Emp. Other Sectors Total Employment Induced Jobs Indirect Jobs Direct Jobs 50 132182Source: Computed from IMPLAN I-O Model for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC (Howard County) ethanol project study area. Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Project Employment Impacts

Labor Income and Other Income Effects: The direct employment by the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol project will result in the direct addition of $2,520,000 in labor income (including benefits and other adders) for the plant employees and to the economy of the project study area, along with an estimated $9,389,000 in other property-type income. Other property-type income consists of payments for rents, royalties, and


 

dividends. The total income effects are derived using the multiplier values from the IMPLAN input-output model, and are estimated to be $19,698,900. This represents the estimate of the total annual income effects in the study area, including the direct and secondary labor and other property-type income. $11.909 $11.909 $5.792 $5.792 $1.998 $1.998048121620 Ethanol (Direct) Inc. Other Sectors Total Income(Million $)Induced Income Indirect Income Direct Income$11.909 Million$7.790 Million$19.699 Million(Labor and Other Property Income Effects)Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Project Income Impacts Source: Computed from IMPLAN I-O Model for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC (Howard County) ethanol project study area.

Indirect Business Taxes: It is estimated the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility will pay an estimated $3,351,000 in direct property taxes on the plant and equipment. There is an additional $200,000 of indirect business taxes estimated for this project. The indirect business taxes, in addition to the property taxes on the real estate, plant and equipment, include taxes on other property, excise taxes, fees, licenses, sales tax, and other taxes that occur during the normal operation of the business, but do not include taxes on profits or income. When the secondary (indirect and induced) effects are considered, the total indirect business taxes related to the operation of the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility are estimated to be $4,431,300 ($3,551,000 direct and $880,300 secondary [indirect and induced] business taxes).

Total Output Effects: The total value of output directly associated with the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility is reported to be $257,400,000 annually. When the secondary output effects are added to the direct output component, the total output effects associated with the facility are estimated to be $275,778,400.

Retail Sales Effects: The increased employment and income associated with the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility will result in additional disposable personal income and consumer purchasing power which will positively impact retail sales in the study area. Given the estimated increase in personal income estimated to be associated with the operation of the facility, the expected increase in retail sales for the multi-county study area is estimated to be $5,759,100 annually.


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Estimated Economic Effects for the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Production Facility in Howard County, Nebraska

Introduction

This report presents an analysis of the estimated employment and other economic impacts expected to be associated with operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol processing facility to be located in Howard County, Nebraska. The methodology employed to estimate the economic effects of the project utilizes a computerized input-output (I-O) model constructed for an eight-county area in central Nebraska, including Howard County along with the surrounding counties (Buffalo, Greeley, Hall, Merrick, Nance, Sherman, and Valley - see Figure One). This model was developed with the 2004 Micro IMPLAN database and input-output modeling software. The IMPLAN database consists of 21 economic and demographic variables for 509 industrial sectors for each of the 3,000 counties in the United States. Some of these variables include employment, payments to labor, payments to other factors of production, and output by industry sector, as well as government purchases and household purchases. Figure One The St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Project Primary Impact Area Buffalo Valley Greeley Sherman Howard Nance Merrick Hall St. Paul Figure Paul

The IMPLAN database has been used to build an I-O model for the multi-county study area that identifies inter-industry linkages within the area economy. From this model, multipliers are developed (employment, labor income, other property income, indirect business taxes, and output) which can be applied to assess the anticipated economic and employment effects associated with the operation of the planned ethanol production facility.

The IMPLAN I-O modeling software and database contains an industrial sector in which ethyl alcohol is included as a component. IMPLAN Sector 151, “Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing” includes the NAICS classification 32519 that, in turn, includes NAICS 325193, “Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing.”

Although the planned ethanol project for which this impact analysis is undertaken will be located in Howard County, Nebraska, it is expected that the primary inputs (corn, labor, and other inputs) for the project will be obtained from a significant area surrounding the plant location and Howard County. The primary impact area utilized in this analysis includes the geographic area over which the economic effects of the project are expected to occur.


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Direct Economic Effects

The analysis provided in this report assumes the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility will have the capacity to produce 113.4 million gallons of ethanol along with distillers grains as a complementary product. It is expected the ethanol production facility will use a dry milling process to prepare the feedstock for conversion to ethanol and other products. Estimates of the direct economic effects associated with the operation of the ethanol production facility are presented in Table One. 50 Employee Payroll with Benefits$2,520,000 Other Property Income(a)$9,389,000$11,909,000Value of Plant Output Ethanol (113,400,000 Gal. @ $2.00)$226,800,000$30,600,000Total Value of Output$257,400,000 Indirect Business Taxes(b)$3,551,000 Local Property Taxes on Plant & Equipment$3,351,000Total Labor & Other Property Income(a) Other Property Income consists of payments for rents, royalties, and dividends. Source: Basic data on the operation of the facility provided by the project sponsor. Selected other data derived from the IMPLAN Model and Database, where noted.(b) Indirect Business Taxes include property and other taxes and fees, except taxes on profits or income. Estimated from information obtained from the project sponsors and from the IMPLAN Model and Database (see text). DDGS (360,000 Tons @ $85.00 ) Estimated Direct Effects Associated with the Operation Table One Employees (F.T.E. Number)of the Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Production Facility

As the data presented in Table One indicate, the total value of the annual output for the facility is estimated at $257,400,000, including $226,800,000 for the ethanol and $30,600,000 for the distiller grains (DDGS). The direct addition to “Other Property Income” presented in Table One is estimated to be $9,389,000. Other Property Income is defined as payments for rents, royalties, and dividends. Payments to individuals in the form of rents received on property, royalties from contracts, and dividends paid by corporations are included here as well as profits earned by corporations. The estimate for Other Property Income used in this analysis was derived from the estimated returns to investors and from the IMPLAN I-O model and database for IMPLAN Sector 151, which includes ethyl alcohol production.


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Annual property taxes for the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol project are estimated at $3,351,000, based on an estimated assessed valuation of $140,000,000 and an applicable tax rate of $2.394 per $100 of assessed valuation. The estimated indirect business taxes ($3,551,000) shown in Table One include the $3,351,000 in property taxes, in addition to $200,000 for other indirect business taxes, including excise, other property taxes, fees, licenses and sales, and other taxes paid during the course of the normal operation of a business. It is important to recognize, however, that these indirect business taxes do not include taxes on profits or income.

Economic Impact Analysis As previously noted, in order to analyze the potential economic effects associated with the operation of the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility, an I-O model was developed for the Howard County study area using the IMPLAN database and I-O modeling software. Also, as previously noted, the IMPLAN Sector,  which includes the type of economic activity associated with ethanol production, is IMPLAN Sector 151, “Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing,” which includes NAICS 325193, “Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing.”

An estimate of the secondary (indirect and induced) economic effects results from an evaluation of the capacity of the study area economy to supply the increased demand for goods and services created by the operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility. The economic effects addressed in this analysis include the direct employment and other economic effects directly associated with the operation of the model plant as well as the secondary economic effects. The first component of the secondary economic effects include the indirect effects which occur as a result of the additional employment and economic activity associated with the “local” businesses supplying inputs to the ethanol production facility. The other component of the secondary effects captures the additional economic activity associated with the increased household income and the increased purchases by households as a result of the increased disposable income.

In the case of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC project study area economy (Howard County and the contiguous counties) much of the project-dependent local demand for corn and other raw material inputs will be provided from the study area. In the case of the increased demand for other goods and services created by the operation of the ethanol plant, a portion will be provided by the local economy and a portion will need to be imported from outside the study area.

Table Two presents multipliers estimated from the IMPLAN I-O model for the Howard County study area economy. These multipliers include the employment, labor income, other property income, indirect business taxes, and output multipliers developed for IMPLAN Sector 151, “Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing.” The multipliers are applied to the direct economic effects estimated for the ethanol facility (presented in Table One) to obtain an estimate of the total expected employment and other economic


6 Multipliers*Direct Indirect Induced Total Type I(b)Type SAM(c) Employment 0.19430.32220.19150.70792.65893.6445Labor Income0.00980.01420.00450.02862.44912.9124Other Property Income0.03650.00830.00320.04801.22801.3164Indirect Business Taxes0.01380.00250.00090.01721.18241.2479Output1.00000.05620.01521.07141.05621.0714 (b) Type I = (Direct + Indirect) / Direct (c) Type SAM = (Direct + Indirect + Induced) / Direct database and computer software. Source: Calculated for the Howard County study area economy using the Micro IMPLAN Multipliers(a)(a)The multipliers for IMPLAN Sector 151, "Other Basic Organic Chemical Manufacturing," are used for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility. Table Two Input-Output Multipliers for the Howard County Study Area Economy Defined for the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Production Facility*Direct, Indirect, Induced and Total effects are per million dollars of output

impacts associated with the operation of the planned Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility.

Estimated Economic Effects for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Facility

As the data provided in Table One suggest, the analysis of the economic effects associated with the operation of the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility begins with the direct employment, output, labor income, and other payments to the factors of production associated with this facility. The data presented in Table One provided basic data on the direct employment, labor and other property income, the value of output, and indirect business taxes associated with the operation of the subject ethanol facility. Using these estimates, in conjunction with the multiplier values derived from the IMPLAN input/output model for the study area economy, estimates of the indirect and total employment and other economic effects associated with the operation of the prospective Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility have been derived. The estimates of the secondary (indirect and induced) and total economic and employment effects associated with the ethanol facility are presented in Table Three.

- Employment Effects As previously stated, the annual employment directly related to the operation of the prospective ethanol production facility is expected to be 50 employees (FTEs). The direct, secondary (indirect and induced), and total employment effects resulting from the increase in economic activity associated with the operation of the facility are presented in Table Three. As these data indicate, the total employment effects for the Central Bio-Energy ethanol project multi-county impact area are estimated to be 182 jobs (50 direct F.T.E.S and 132 secondary, or 83 indirect and 49 induced jobs).


7 Employment Effects Direct Employment (FTE)50 Indirect (1.6600 of Direct)83 Induced (0.9800 of Direct)49 Total Employment (FTE)182Labor Income & Other Property Income Effects Direct Labor & Other Property Income$11,909,000 Indir. Labor & Other Prop. Inc. (0.4864 of Direct)$5,792,400 Induced Labor & Other Prop. Inc. (0.1677 of Direct)$1,997,500 Total Labor & Other Property Income$19,698,900Indirect Business Taxes Effects [Direct] Indirect Business Taxes$3,551,000 [Indirect] Indirect Bus. Taxes (0.1824 of Dir.)$647,700 [Induced] Indirect Bus. Taxes (0.0655 of Dir.)$232,600 Total Indirect Business Taxes$4,431,300Output Effects Direct Output$257,400,000 Indirect Output (0.0562 of Direct)$14,465,900 Induced Output (0.0152 of Direct)$3,912,500 Total Output$275,778,400 Source: Computed from the data presented in Tables One and Two and from the IMPLAN input-output model constructed for the Howard County Study Area economy. Table Three Estimated Employment, Income, Output, and Related Tax Effects Associated with the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC Ethanol Production Facility in Howard County, Nebraska (Annual Estimates)

- Labor Income and Other Income Effects

The employment and other economic activity resulting from the operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility will add a significant amount of labor and other property-type income to the economy of the project study area. The estimate of the direct effects on total employment and labor income were obtained from the project sponsors and, in the case of the other property-type income, from the Micro IMPLAN database (see Table One). As the data presented in Table One indicated, the direct employment in the prospective ethanol facility will result an estimated direct addition of $2,520,000 in labor income and $9,389,000 in other property-type income to the economy of the multi-county Howard County study area. In the case of the other property-type income, this consists of payments for rents, royalties, and dividends. Utilizing the multiplier values from the IMPLAN I-O model constructed for the project (Howard County) study area (see Table Two), the total (direct, indirect, and induced) income effects for the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility, including labor and other property-type income are estimated to be $19,698,900. This represents the estimate of the total annual income effects in the study area associated with the facility.


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- Total Output Effects

Total economic output (value of production or sales) directly associated with the operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility is reported to be $257,400,000 annually (see Table One). Using this as the direct output component, the total output effects associated with the ethanol production facility shown in Table Three, including the direct and secondary effects, are estimated to be $275,778,400.

- Indirect Business Taxes Effect

Indirect Business Taxes (IBT) expected to be paid by the planned ethanol facility are estimated to be $3,551,000 (see Table One), and include an estimated $3,351,000 of direct property taxes on the plant and equipment. The indirect business taxes, in addition to the property taxes on the plant and equipment, include taxes on other property, excise taxes, fees, licenses, sales tax, and other taxes that occur during the normal operation of businesses, but do not include taxes on profits or income. As the data presented in Table Three indicate, the total indirect taxes for the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol project are estimated at $4,431,300 annually, including the direct and secondary indirect business taxes effects.

- Retail Sales Effects

Among the significant economic impacts the operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility will have on the study area economy are positive effects on assessed property valuation, growth in property tax revenues, and an increase in sales tax revenues and retail sales. While this analysis has captured a portion of these positive tax effects, in terms of the property and indirect business taxes, this section considers the probable positive effects of the facility on retail sales in the multi-county project study area.

Table Four presents data on total personal income and retail sales for the project study area (Howard County and the contiguous counties) for the review period, 1994-2003. As these data indicate, retail sales in the study area have averaged 42.6 percent of total personal income during this period.

Given these data, the derivation of an estimate of the retail sales impact associated with the operation of the St. Paul Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol production facility is made by assuming retail sales resulting from the increased economic activity would equal 42.6 percent of the increase in personal income associated with the subject facility. For the purposes of this analysis, we assume the increase in personal income associated with the operation of the ethanol facility will equal the total (direct, indirect, and induced) labor income associated with the facility of $7,339,200 and 50 percent of the total (direct, indirect, and induced) other property-type income (.5 x $12,359,700 = $6,179,850) for a total of $13,519,050. Given this estimated addition to personal income in the study area, the retail sales associated with the Central Bio-Energy, LLC ethanol facility are estimated to be $5,759,100 annually (42.6% x $13,519,050).


9 Year Total Personal Income Total Retail Sales Retail Sales as % of T.P.I.($1,000)($1,000)(%)19942,228,922980,75544.019952,309,7751,009,77243.719962,534,5081,042,47341.119972,576,9341,097,21542.619982,747,0981,166,81742.19992,799,077,201,16642.920002,918,0761,257,88043.120013,098,5621,292,39741.720023,134,4541,345,91942.920033,385,5901,399,7634.342.6 Sources: Total personal income: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis. Retail sales data: Nebraska Dept. of Revenue. Average, 1994-2003

(a) Project Primary Impact Area includes Howard County and the contiguous counties (Buffalo, Greeley, Hall, Merrick, Nance, Valley, and Sherman). Table Four Total Personal Income and Retail Sales, Central Bio-Energy, LLC (Howard County) Project Study Area (a), 1994-2003

If further information about this analysis is desired or if the reader has questions about any aspect of this report, please contact:

Donis N. Petersan, CEcD, Ph.D.

Economist

Nebraska Public Power District

1414 15th Street - Box 499

Columbus, NE 68602-0499

Telephone: (402) 563-5304 or (800) 282-6773

E-mail: dnpeter@nppd.com


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