Quick Takes

EPA’s Tailpipe Emissions Rule Rides Roughshod Over Our Freedoms

In their latest Washington Times article, policy analyst Miles Pollard and Laura Gorceac, an intern with Heritage’s Young Leaders Program, argue that the EPA’s latest tailpipe emissions rule will force automakers to shift production from gasoline-powered vehicles and hybrids to electric vehicles [EVs]: “The EPA estimates that the average cost of America’s bestselling SUVs and light trucks will increase by over $8,000 by 2032. The total cost of adopting these strict standards will likely be even greater.”

The EPA’s emissions standards not only disregard the current limitations of EVs but also fail to consider the massive investments needed to support an electrified car fleet.

In fact, according to a Roland Berger study, electrical utilities would need to invest $370 billion in grid upgrades and $620 billion in new electric vehicles and charging infrastructure to support an electrified medium and heavy trucking industry. This trillion-dollar investment is unfeasible as the Biden administration’s $7.5 billion EV charger program to build 500,000 chargers in five years has built only eight chargers as of last December to serve EVs on interstate highways.

For context, the 2023 ratio of new cars was roughly 84% combustion engine, 8% hybrid, 2% plug-in hybrid and 7% electric. By 2027, the EPA’s moderate forecast under its emission requirements would be 62% combustion engine, 4% hybrid, 10% plug-in hybrid and 24% electric. By 2032, its moderate forecast would force Americans to buy 22% combustion engine, 6% hybrid, 29% plug-in hybrid and 43% electric.

Read the full article here.

New Documentary’s “Cold Truth” About Climate

In a recent article for The Daily Signal, research assistant Andrew Weiss showcases a new documentary that emphasizes the crucial role of clean, reliable, and resilient energy in improving living standards across the globe:

Wealthy countries built their economic resilience on coal, oil, and gas. Denying the same benefit to poor countries for the sake of hypothetical climate risk is immoral….

The documentary shows that the goal of energy policy should be to provide clean, reliable, and resilient power to raise standards of living, both in America and overseas.

Contrary to claims made by some climate activists, America has not experienced an increase in the number or intensity of hurricanes since official records began in the mid-19th century, before the Civil War. See the table below. Policymakers are nonetheless rushing to implement aggressive emissions cuts and renewable energy mandates that prioritize green energy, but raise costs and result in more blackouts.

The more an electric grid relies on intermittent sources of energy, such as wind and solar generation, the more vulnerable it becomes to blackouts….

By all means, let’s use renewable technologies as they become reliable and cost-effective, including nuclear energy. Attempting to legislate an accelerated transition is a recipe for disaster when reality collides with wishful thinking.

Protecting human life and well-being has to be our top priority. That’s the firm foundation on which all environmental progress depends.

Read the full article here.

Americans Face Higher Costs Under the EPA’s Electric Truck Mandate

In her latest article for The Daily Signal, CECE director Diana Furchtgott-Roth discusses the EPA’s new rule requiring that 25 percent of truck sales be electric by 2032:

Practically everything Americans use comes by truck, either all the way from the producer or from ports or railroad terminals. That’s why, if electric truck and charging technology existed, EPA’s new rule would raise costs of everything Americans buy, resulting in higher prices for goods and services and inflationary pressures throughout the economy.

Trucking and utility companies would have to invest almost $1 trillion in charging infrastructure before electric trucks could be operational. EPA’s goals either will have to be discarded or moved steadily into the future.

The electric truck rule follows regulations released last month that would require 70% of cars and light trucks, such as pickup trucks, to be electric by 2032. Both these rules will face court challenges on the grounds that EPA exceeded its authority.

EPA’s massive project to reshape America’s transportation system would lower economic growth and increase the budget deficit as manufacturers attempt to comply with regulations and use green tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act to waste resources investing in products that are unsuited to companies’ needs.

Read the full article here.