On September 22, 2015, Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Democratic Leader Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) released The American Energy Innovation Act of 2015, a bill designed to improve economic growth in the energy sector, invest in clean energy, and support research and development while cutting carbon pollution. Senator Wyden stated the proposed legislation "... is built around the proposition that the law ought to reward clean energy with incentives that spark innovation in the private economy. Our proposal makes it possible to get more clean, renewable energy for less money and I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues to get it through the Senate." A wide range of programs are outlined in the bill, including a plan to replace the expired Clean Fuel Production Credit with a technology-neutral incentive for domestic renewable fuels based on lifecycle carbon emissions. The bill also discusses the establishment of a grant program to research distributed energy systems with a focus on renewable energy, authorization for the federal government to enter into up to 30-year contracts for the acquisition of renewable energy, and allowing states to obtain loan guarantees through the Department of Energy (DOE) loan programs for renewable projects.

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