American Energy Alliance opposes Clinton's renewable-energy plan

The American Energy Alliance (AEA), an organization that encourages lawmakers to support traditional policies that support the energy industry, has come out against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s proposed renewable-energy plan late last week.

Clinton’s proposed policy would call for transitioning the country’s Renewable Fuel Standard to focus on advanced cellulosic biofuels -- part of what Clinton has called her “plan for a vibrant rural America.”

AEA President Thomas Pyle said Clinton’s proposed plan will not turn out that way.

“Hillary Clinton’s ‘plan for a vibrant rural America’ actually harms rural America,” Pyle said. “By mandating expensive, ‘advanced’ biofuels at the expense of corn-based ethanol, Clinton’s energy plan disadvantages corn farmers while raising gasoline prices on everyone, but hurts most those who must travel long distances in rural America."

Pyle said Clinton’s plan shows that the Renewable Fuel Standard is broken beyond repair, with the only solution being to repeal the law, enacted under President George W. Bush and requiring a certain percentage of all fuels sold in the U.S. to be made up of renewable biofuels.

“Clinton may have thought she could curry favor with Iowa voters by promising to ‘strengthen’ the federal ethanol mandate, but her plan to transform the (Renewable Fuel Standard) into a California-style, low-carbon fuel standard would burden rural families with California-level gas prices, which are the highest in the nation," Pyle said.