Democrats' Rush to Green Hurts American Consumers

Press Release

Last week, in addition to passage of House Democrats' more than $135 billion boondoggle, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced an executive order to ban the sale of new combustion-engine motor vehicles in the state starting in 2035, forcing residents to transition to electric vehicles. This move is part of an effort to lower emissions and address climate change.

Unfortunately for Californians, this ban on gasoline-powered vehicles seems to be part of the state's trend to rush to green at the expense of reliable, affordable options for consumers. First, its move to electric vehicles comes at a time when the state is experiencing rolling blackouts from an unreliable electric grid. California residents are already paying among the highest rates in the nation to keep their lights on and power their homes, while simultaneously experiencing government-mandated electricity shut offs. Now, more of the state's grid -- the same unreliable grid causing shutoffs -- will be used to charge the increasing number of new electric vehicles mandated for sale.

The rush to go green also highlights potential supply chain threats and the issue of uncertain lifecycle environmental costs from batteries, risking our national security and forcing us to rely on foreign adversaries -- where many of the minerals required for manufacturing batteries are sourced. In a recent Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee hearing, witness Michele Foss of Rice University's Center for Energy Studies shared these concerns.

She noted that, "Emissions associated with life cycle processes for batteries and alternative energy applications are extremely difficult to ascertain. For example, global lithium battery manufacturing, including for electric vehicles (EVs), stands at roughly 740 gigawatt hours (GWh). Nearly 80 percent of this capacity resides in China, supported by nearly 3,000 coal-fired power plants, the backbone of China's electric power grid. This means a potential output of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that nearly equals all of those associated with the U.S. domestic oil and gas systems, based on U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates."

Last week, House Democrats passed a bill to, among many other things, mandate that the federal fleet be converted to electric vehicles. While reducing emissions, deploying innovative technologies, and addressing climate change risks are bipartisan priorities, the ability for American consumers to access affordable and reliable energy and our ability to maintain a secure, reliable electric grid should never be afterthoughts -- particularly when they threaten our standard of living. Included in H.R. 4447 was an expansive $36 billion electric vehicle section, leading to, among other things, all zero emissions federal fleet vehicles by 2050, as well as another $650 million for communities to convert to expensive, travel-limited electric school buses and EV infrastructure. These provisions would be paid for by all American taxpayers, regardless of who's benefiting from the technologies -- which means rural Americans are likely to foot the bill and be left behind.

Not only are we potentially ceding our technological leadership and energy security to China by rushing to mandate electric vehicles, we are also potentially increasing CO2 emissions. While affordable electric vehicles and renewable power sources have the potential to benefit consumers, we cannot rely on these options alone to provide mobility and power our communities. Shutting down established nuclear plants that produce carbon-free energy and cutting down endangered trees for solar projects only hurt American consumers, and, in some cases, our environment.

We can and should be good stewards of the environment, utilize clean energy sources as part of an all-of-the-above energy approach, and promote innovation in energy infrastructure. Unfortunately, it seems Democrats are failing to consider the impact their misguided policies will have on American consumers.

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