America can and needs to achieve energy independence, but it can’t happen without government policy that supports growth in biofuels. That was the message Growth Energy Co-chair and Retired General Wesley Clark shared during his keynote at the South Dakota Corn Banquet Saturday night. He says at the height of the Renewable Fuels Standard ethanol will supply 3 million barrels per day of the 20 million barrels of liquid fuel consumed by motorists which is an important part of energy independence.

He says since EPA did not push to the statutory requirements for ethanol in the RFS for 2014 through 2016 they kicked the can down the road.

Clark says Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are both opposed to the RFS, despite Cruz’s “supposed” flip flop last week. He also says dependence on foreign oil hurt the economy especially since the U.S. has fought three costly wars over oil with the taxpayer footing the bill.