Ethanol and Renewable Fuels Issues - Democrats

 Hillary Clinton

• The Illinois senator's (Barack Obama) campaign released information that points out that Clinton voted more than a dozen times between 2000 and 2005 “against ethanol.”  The U.S. senator from New York has explained most of those votes. She has said at the time legislation was being considered and the way various legislative proposals were written, she feared it would amount to spikes in energy costs….she defended past opposition to tax incentives and mandates for corn-based ethanol. “If you look at the transportation costs, the mandate, we thought, we directly impact the price of gas on the costs,” Clinton said. “I never was against using ethanol. I never was against the idea that we had to try these alternatives.” (Des Moines Register, November 6, 2007)

• While touring the research facilities at Pioneer Hi-Bred, Hillary Clinton emphasized her call to dedicate more federal resources to the production of ethanol using the entire plant, not just the kernels.  “Clinton, a Democratic presidential candidate, suggests the federal government should spend $50 billion dollars on projects that help reach the goals of reducing America's dependence on foreign oil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Clinton argues a federal ‘Strategic Energy Fund’ would help more rapidly deploy already-existing technology and accelerate the production of ethanol from the entire corn plant.”  (Radio Iowa News, March 5, 2007)

• "I believe we've got to take a strong stand on limiting our dependence on foreign oil. And we have a perfect example about how it can work right here in Iowa with all the ethanol that's being produced here,” and called for, "accelerating homegrown and family-farm-grown biofuels by extending the ethanol tax credit until 2012 and speeding the development of cellulosic ethanol." (Des Moines Register, March 4, 2007)

• "We have an underused resource, American farmland, and rural communities across our country eager to try something new and do their part to help solve our energy problems. Today we have 97 biorefineries located in 19 different states with the capacity to make nearly 4.5 billion gallons of ethanol. Now, over the next 12 to 18 months, we will increase that capacity by 50 percent. And we're seeing it in New York as we're seeing it around the country. But think about that: We have the capacity to make nearly 4.5 billion gallons of ethanol, but that is a long way from helping us deal with our gas problems."  (Factcheck.com, June 12, 2007)

• The senator recently softened her stance, but she is on record opposing a large federal boost for the grain-based fuel… The vote in question was an effort to block a proposed amendment to the 2005 energy bill that would have established an ethanol mandate for refineries. "If there were ever an onerous, anti-competitive, anti-free-market provision, this is it," said Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), who led the effort and who warned that non-farming states could face spikes in gasoline prices because of supply limitations. Clinton at the time was campaigning for reelection and was one of 28 senators to support her colleague's failed bid… Over the past year, Clinton has warmed to ethanol. Buffalo has decided to build a big ethanol plant, making the issue a home-state concern. In May, Clinton said current ethanol production is "a long way from helping us deal with our gas problems" and added: "We need to be moving on a much faster track." (Washington Post, January 1, 2007)              

Barack Obama

• Q. You are a strong supporter of both corn and cellulosic ethanol, both of which would get a major boost from your proposed National Low Carbon Fuel Standard. How, specifically, will you structure policies that transition the U.S. away from corn ethanol and toward cellulosic?
  Obama: “No single feedstock is going to get us to energy independence, and none will be the perfect solution -- each faces its own challenges. Corn-starch ethanol provides a critically important bridge toward energy independence and corn remains a strong part of the domestic biofuels industry. But developing greater volumes of cellulosics is a critical next step in domestic biofuel development, and is the key component of my Low Carbon Fuel Standard bill…My National Low Carbon Fuel Standard provides a way for us to better understand the impacts of an advanced biofuels industry on the environment, so that as we move forward on cellulosics and other domestic fuels we do so responsibly.” (Grist & Outside, July 30, 2007)

• Obama voted for the ethanol mandate. "As a senator from a corn-growing state, Obama will have no problem on the ethanol issue and can tout his credentials on this score with a clear conscience," said Peverill Squire, who teaches politics at the University of Iowa. (Washington Post, January 1, 2007)

• Every American should have the choice to fill up their car with E85 at any fueling station. And oil companies should stop standing in the way and join us in making this happen. If the big oil companies would devote just 1 percent of their first quarter profits this year to install E85 pumps, more than 7,000 service stations would be able to serve E85 to hungry motorists.  (FactCheck.org, quote from April 3, 2006 speech)

• Obama will support requiring that 20% of the nation's power supply comes from renewable sources like wind, solar, biomass & geothermal. He will increase CAFE to 40 mpg for cars. He will create a Renewable Fuels Standard that requires that a percentage of our fuel supply is provided by fuels such as ethanol. (ObamaforIllinois.com, May 2, 2004)

• First, we should ramp up the renewable fuel standard and create an alternative diesel standard in this country so that by 2025, 65 billion gallons of alternative fuels per year will be blended into the petroleum supply. Second, Washington should lead the way on energy independency by making sure that every single automobile the government purchases is a flexible-fuel vehicle - starting today. When it becomes possible in the coming years, we should make sure that every government car is a plug-in hybrid as well.  Third, I'm supporting legislation that would make sure every single new car in America is a flexible-fuel vehicle within a decade. Currently it costs manufacturers just $100 to add these tanks to each car. But we can do them one better. If they install flexible-fuel tanks in their cars before the decade's up, the government should provide them a $100 tax credit to do it - so there's no excuse for delay. (Remarks to Governor’s Ethanol Coalition, February 28, 2006)