Steel, LaMalfa Lead California Republicans in Asking Newsom to Repeal New Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate

Letter

Governor Newsom and Chair Randolph,

On August 25, 2022, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) adopted its proposed
Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) II regulation. ACCII would require 35% electrification of lightduty vehicle sales by 2026 and 100% by 2035. There are far more effective and less costly means
of reducing emissions that would also allow all vehicle powertrain technologies to compete.
California policymakers and states following their lead should encourage innovation, bring fuel
manufacturers in as part of the solution, and abstain from banning gas and diesel vehicle sales.
At a time when our constituents are dealing with rolling blackouts and the crushing impact of
your energy policies, they should not be asked to spend even more. We urge you to reconsider
your recent ACCII policy that strips away consumer choice, ignores market penetration, and
imposes further economic hardship on Californians.

Consumers should be able to choose the type of vehicle technology that fits their needs. A
Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from September 2022 highlighted that 71% of voters believe they
should have the choice of buying a gasoline-powered car over the next 15 years, 71% would
prefer to drive a gasoline-powered car, and 73% do not think that the electric grid is ready to
handle the widespread purchase of electric vehicles (EV).1 Consumer demand for the types of
cars required by California emission rules is low. Those types of cars cost more--in many cases,
significantly more--than comparable vehicles. To meet the mandates of ACCII, automakers
must sell increasing numbers of these types of cars, despite their higher costs and low popularity,
and will likely be forced into continuing the practice of inflating gasoline and diesel vehicle costs
around the country to make EV sales more attractive.

By any objective metric, California's electric grid is not ready for an EV mandate of this
magnitude. Power generation, infrastructure, charging, and battery production are just a few of
the significant roadblocks California is not addressing. California's electric grid is strapped and
already straining to keep the lights on. It will be unable to support a larger electric car and truck
fleet. According to the California Energy Commission, up to 76% of current circuit segments have no capacity to integrate more electric load. California's policy banning the sale of new gas
and diesel-powered cars and trucks would lead to significantly more blackouts.

Additionally, a study commissioned by California found that the state will need to triple its
electricity supply just to fuel all the additional EVs on the road because of CARB's ban on gas
and diesel vehicle sales.3 This grid expansion alone is going to cost Californians at least $75
billion in higher electric bills. California electricity rates have increased 57% since 2010, and
even before CARB's vote to ban gas and diesel vehicle sales, they were projected to grow
another 40% by 2030. If California receives an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) waiver
and can move forward with its ban, these costs are only going to increase. Most Californians
simply cannot afford such increases in their utility bills, yet your proposal forces them to.

Lastly, CARB has not fully considered the substantial environmental questions associated with
EV mandates. If the intention of this policy is to decrease emissions, then it must be evaluated on
a lifecycle basis. Yet, CARB has not fully accounted for emissions associated with vehicle and
battery manufacturing or the safe recycling and disposal of electric batteries, and the materials
used to build them. Electric vehicles are an important part of a diverse transportation future.
However, if policy is to prohibit the sale of gas and diesel vehicles, there is likely to be
underinvestment in refining and liquid fuels.

Our state can be a leader in clean energy and reducing emissions by producing new technologies
through research and development. We must empower innovation that will help the United States
and California lead the world in the development and production of clean, efficient, reliable, and
affordable energy technologies. We believe these innovations will lead to better-paying jobs for
our constituents and greater economic prosperity for our state.

We must reiterate our concern with the recent unilateral measures taken by your administration,
and we implore you to revoke these actions and reconsider a path forward that benefits all
Californians and adheres to market realities.

Sincerely