Electric Vehicle Mandates Carry Major Price, Electricity Supply Risks That Must Be Addressed to Avert Potential Harm
Government EV Directives Ignore – Sometimes Intentionally – Serious Issues That Will Hurt EV Acceptance
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, released a new report detailing how electric vehicle (EV) mandates will force consumers into paying more in overall transportation costs and create potentially catastrophic pressure on the electric grid if those and other serious issues are not addressed beforehand.
The report, “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace,” also examines key constraints that must be addressed by policymakers before widespread EV adoption can successfully occur, including infrastructure build-out, the ability of electric generation to meet increased demand and critical mineral scarcity.
“Consumers across the country rely on a robust automotive marketplace to meet their mobility needs – whether it is for commuting to work and running errands, delivering goods, or finding a reliable used car for a new driver. This is why it’s imperative that any government overhaul of our automotive sector fully and completely consider every aspect of the value chain and deploy strategies to ensure a successful transition,” CEA Midwest Director Chris Ventura said.
“Unfortunately, in the haste to pass EV directives, that has not been the case. In several states, and even at the federal level, policymakers are moving forward with proposals requiring the market to adopt electric vehicles without regard to the real-world implications these mandates will have on consumers, grid reliability, or the economy. Not only will these hastily conceived policies harm families and businesses, but they are also likely to slow consumer acceptance of EVs once prices rise and the electricity grid is unable to keep up with the increased demand EV mandates will bring. Already, most low- and middle-income earners, as well as seniors, struggle with the steep $60,000-plus average EV price, nearly $15,000 more than a traditional vehicle.”
“CEA’s report found that substantial infrastructure investment in the EV charging network, electric generation, transmission, and distribution systems is needed before widespread EV adoption can successfully take place. Banning gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles and forcing consumers to purchase EVs before states have this infrastructure in place is unconscionably irresponsible, and will imperil our electricity grid, risking the safety of millions of consumers. Half-baked mandates that fail to consider real-world implications could be catastrophic for families and businesses – as well as the EV market itself – while causing more harm than good to the environment.”
To view the report, click here.
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org
Consumer Energy Alliance Applauds Congress for Passing Essential Energy Legislation with Debt Deal
NEPA Reform Will Make Energy Project Permitting More Efficient and Transparent to Keep Pace with America’s Energy and Environmental Goals
WASHINGTON – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, applauds President Biden and Congress for supporting America’s energy and environmental future by passing meaningful reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as part of the larger debt ceiling deal.
“Thank you to President Biden and his team, Speaker McCarthy, and members of Congress for passing this essential piece of bipartisan energy and environmental legislation that will allow American energy projects to be completed faster, with more investment certainty, fewer regulatory hurdles and America’s gold standard environmental safeguards. All American families must have access to affordable, reliable and environmentally sound energy, and these reforms will get us there faster and more effectively,” CEA Vice President Kaitlin Hammons said.
“CEA is pleased to see this historic piece of legislation move forward to help provide America with the power she needs, and give American families and businesses affordable and reliable energy to power their homes and businesses without interruption. While more needs to be done to ensure we can power our cars at reasonable prices and ensure our homes don’t go dark on days of extreme heat or cold, this is an important first step.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org
Power Down: ‘Elevated Risk’ of Summer Blackouts Due to Green Energy
CEA President David Holt joined KTRH to talk about the possibility of summer blackouts and what policymakers can do to help ensure our energy delivery system remains reliable and resilient.
Listen here – KPRC AM 950
Discussion of Reverting Long Island Power Authority to Government Management Pushed to Fall
CEA’s Marc Brown spoke with Daily Energy Insider to address some of the challenges of municipalizing electric generation and transmission, and how that may negatively impact consumers through increased bills and reduced reliability.
Brown told Daily Energy Insider the change of management would eliminate much of the regulatory firewall that currently protects customers and place more risk in the laps of Long Island ratepayers and taxpayers. “It will transfer the financial risks that come from running a utility to taxpayers, instead of investors who understand the business,” he said. “Then there will be uncertainty, higher costs, plus the elimination of the regulatory oversight that keeps rates reasonable and energy reliable.”
Read more – Daily Energy Insider
Administration’s Use of Expedited Permitting Process for Arizona Critical Minerals Project a Positive First Step
- FAST-41-created agency will shepherd zinc, manganese mining project forward
- Enabling domestic mining more effective than taking U.S. resources off table
WASHINGTON – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement in response to the Biden Administration’s first use of the FAST-41 process for a critical minerals project. It is attributable to CEA President David Holt.
“The Biden Administration’s use of an expedited permitting process for the Hermosa manganese and zinc mine in Arizona is proof the U.S. can move faster when it comes to enabling domestic mining of the minerals we need to advance clean energy goals. This is a helpful first piece in the permitting puzzle, and far more effective than taking American natural resources off the table.”
“As the permitting reform debate continues in Washington, CEA urges our leaders to examine why the U.S. needs a body like FAST-41’s Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to speed things up. A modernized, thorough and swift reimagination of federal permitting could do a better job for projects across the board, not just individual ones.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Contact:
Bryson Hull
(202) 657-2855
bhull@consumerenergyalliance.org
El Paso Voters Soundly Reject Proposition K Climate Charter
The more El Pasoans learned about the extreme costs associated with an out-of-state, activist-driven charter amendment designed to ban consumers from having energy choice, the more they rebelled at the extreme taxes and lost economic opportunities that would occur if it passed.
“The results show that a vast majority of El Pasoans believe Proposition K was the wrong path to move the city towards a clean energy future,” Consumer Energy Alliance Southwest Executive Director Matthew Gonzales said in a statement.
Read more – Texas Standard
El Paso Climate Charter Backers, Opponents Reflect on Prop K Defeat
CEA’s Matthew Gonzales reviewed the results of the latest municipal election, as citizens uniformly rejected an attempt to increase the cost of energy on families and businesses across El Paso.
“Consumer Energy Alliance thanks the voters of El Paso for their strong participation in this critical election,” CEA Southwest Executive Director Matthew Gonzalez said in a statement released as early voting results rolled in. “The results show that a vast majority of El Pasoans believe Proposition K was the wrong path to move the city towards a clean energy future.”
Read more – El Paso Times
Rhetoric Intensifies on Both Sides of El Paso Climate Charter Debate Ahead of May 6 Vote
As families continue to struggle with inflation and rising energy costs, CEA Southwest Executive Director Matthew Gonzales looks at how Proposition K will impact El Pasoans.
“CEA got involved because Proposition K has the potential to set a terrible precedent for energy policies across the country,” CEA Southwest Executive Director Matthew Gonzales said in an email. “As a Texas-based national advocate for sensible energy and environmental policies, we could not stand by and watch El Paso’s families and small businesses get a $9 billion minimum tax hike, perpetually higher energy bills and economic ruin foisted on them.”
Read more – El Paso Times
The Lack of Critical Thinking on Critical Minerals Mining Threatens Our Future
As elected officials and policymakers continue to push for an energy transition, many neglect to ensure that the materials necessary – from cobalt and lithium to copper and nickel – are responsibly developed from mining to processing and refining. CEA’s Chris Ventura and MiningMinnesota’s Julie Lucas look at the consequences of this will have on our economic and national security.
Last month, President Biden began his tour of America’s electric vehicle supply chain, which brought him to Minnesota. While here, he talked about those who would love to “cede [the] clean energy future to China” and “make us dependent on overseas supply chains…and weaken energy security” – a curious statement provided our current EV supply chain begins with child labor in the Congo and continues through China.
