(AP) — A retired Army general who is now a lobbyist says a strong ethanol industry is critical to national security because it reduces U.S. reliance on foreign oil-producing countries.

Wesley Clark, co-chairman of the national group Growth Energy, spoke Monday at the newly reopened Pratt Energy ethanol plant in southern Kansas. He is scheduled to testify Wednesday in front of the U.S. Senate Clean Air and Nuclear Safety subcommittee.

The Pratt plant opened in 2008 but went into bankruptcy and closed a year later. Pratt Energy bought the plant in 2012 and spent millions of dollars on renovations before opening it in September.

It currently produces 20 truckloads of ethanol and 45 truckloads of dried distillers grains for livestock per day