Clean
Car Standards
Editorial:
Want Cleaner Air In Minnesota? Walz Has A Plan. According
to the Minneapolis Star Tribune Editorial Board, “When Minnesota passed the Next Generation Energy Act in 2007, it was hailed as landmark legislation for setting renewable energy standards that would lower harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Supported and signed
into law by then-Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and with strong bipartisan support, the act set the table for a decade of lower emissions, greater use of renewable energy such as wind, and a burgeoning clean energy sector. When he signed the bill, Pawlenty
said that ‘the best time to have taken action on energy issues would have been 30 years ago. The second-best time is right now.’ Pawlenty was correct then, and Gov. Tim Walz is correct now in directing his administration to adopt California’s cleaner vehicle
emission rules. The new rules would require car manufacturers to offer more electric and hybrid models in Minnesota. Consumers here currently get to choose from fewer than half the models available. Walz said that is because the broader choice goes to the
13 states that adhere to lower emission standards. In proposing the rule change, which first would go through public hearings and take about 18 months to go into effect, Walz said consumers would continue to be able to purchase gas-powered vehicles if that
is their choice.” [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 9/30/19
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POLL:
California Vs. The Trump Administration: How Americans View Emissions Standards And Climate Change.
According
to YouGov, “Last week, the Trump Administration refused to allow California to set its own car emission standards (CAFE standards) stricter than the national standard (a standard set by the Obama Administration, but rolled back by the Trump Administration).
President Trump tweeted this will create, ‘Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!’ It certainly will create jobs for lawyers, as 23 states almost immediately sued the Administration. The latest Economist/YouGov Poll finds the American people willing to let California set stricter
fuel emissions standards (even though they would prefer one national standard in principle). They also (more narrowly) oppose the Administration’s denial of a waiver (which had been routinely granted in the past) to allow California to do just that. About
a third of Americans don’t necessarily trust auto companies to produce fuel-efficient cars without government-set fuel economy standards. This group is even more in favor of stricter standards. The debate that the President referenced— jobs versus the environment
— is not a debate for most Americans. By 78% to 9%, they believe it is possible to both protect the environment and protect jobs. But if they had to choose, they would prioritize the environment over jobs. Two years ago, the country was more divided: in April,
2017, 43% said they would prioritize the environment; 38% jobs.” [YouGov,
9/30/19
(=)]
Former
EPA Chief Reilly Blasts Trump Attack On California Auto Rules. According
to Inside EPA, “Former EPA Administrator William Reilly is lambasting the Trump administration’s attack on California’s vehicle emissions rules, directing particular fire at its move to preempt California’s zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) program that the agency
first authorized during his tenure in President George H.W. Bush’s administration. Reilly’s critiques could become particularly relevant as defenders of strong vehicle greenhouse gas standards -- including California and its state allies -- argue in mushrooming
litigation over the administration’s preemption rule that Trump officials are ignoring decades of legal, administrative and statutory precedent. Many observers, including some conservative legal experts, have also argued that the EPA and Transportation Department
(DOT) attack on the ZEV program could be particularly vulnerable because of its link to conventional pollution -- and Reilly’s comments could bolster these criticisms. ‘I granted nine waivers during my four years, including one to allow California to mandate
a required percentage of electric vehicles,’ Reilly tells Inside EPA. ‘We didn’t consider the market would support it or the infrastructure ready for it. We were right. But I considered California, having had the most severe air pollution along with the most
innovative and aggressive control regime, deserved the right to experiment.” [Inside EPA,
9/30/19
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Electric
Vehicles
Electric Cars Get Their Own Stage At 2019 OC Auto
Show This Weekend In Anaheim. According
to the Orange County Register, “The OC Auto Show is preparing its visitors for an electric future. More than 20 plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles will be part of a new display at the show, which takes place Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 3-6, at the
Anaheim Convention Center. The collection is a part of the more than 600 new vehicles, from Jeeps to Lamborghinis, that will be showcased at the West Coast’s second-largest auto show. For the first time, the show will host the 5,000-square-foot Electric Avenue,
which will help people navigate through the myriad of federal, state and local incentives and rebates available for buying an electric car. ‘What fascinated me was – that when we first delved into Electric Avenue – how complex it was to find all the incentives
that were available,’ the show’s director, John Sackrison, said. ‘This is one spot that consumers can go to learn more.’ California drivers buy roughly half of the all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids sold in the United States, Sackrison said. Orange County
dealers are selling a lot of those cars. In the second quarter of 2019, more than 10% of all vehicles sold in the county were all-electric or plug-in hybrids, according to a report from the Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.” [Orange County Register,
9/30/19
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Politico Pro Q&A: Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe.
According to Politico, “The utility industry
has a new cause in Washington: electric vehicles. Power company leaders and lobbyists last week converged on Capitol Hill to press lawmakers to expand electric vehicle tax credits as part of a larger tax deal expected this fall. The campaign is part of an
evolving battle between electric utilities and oil industry groups, which are fighting in at least 10 states over utility plans to build vehicle charging stations. Patti Poppe, the CEO of Michigan utility Consumers Energy, was among the officials who came
to Washington to urge lawmakers to expand the tax credits, which currently phase out after a manufacturer sells 200,000 qualifying vehicles. On Friday, Poppe spoke with POLITICO about the utility industry’s turn toward EVs and her company’s own ambitious plans
to cut carbon. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Utilities, led by trade group Edison Electric Institute, delivered a letter to Senate leadership signed by a wide variety of organizations supportive of expanding EV tax credits. What was
your involvement in crafting that coalition, and what unifies all these groups? I wasn’t personally [involved], but EEI certainly is, and as a member of EEI and as the co-chair of the electric transportation working group inside of EEI, I certainly support
EEI’s advocacy on this issue.” [Politico, 10/1/19
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Utility Industry Talks EVs.
According to Politico, “The utility industry has a new cause in Washington: electric vehicles. Power company leaders and lobbyists last week converged on Capitol Hill to press lawmakers to expand EV tax credits as part of a larger tax deal expected this fall.
The campaign is part of a growing battle between electric utilities and oil industry groups, which are fighting in at least 10 states over utility plans to build a network of vehicle charging stations. Poppe, the CEO of Consumers Energy, was among the utility
heavyweights who came to Washington to urge lawmakers to expand the tax credits, and she spoke to Gavin about why the utility sector is leaning into the fight. ‘Transportation is now the No. 1 leading cause of carbon emissions, so there’s a big climate benefit
to the transition into electric vehicles, but also [reducing] all other tailpipe emissions. Particularly in some of our most disadvantaged communities, having emission-free vehicles is a huge improvement to air quality,’ she said. Poppe’s utility is currently
in the process of retiring 12 coal plants as part of its plan to cut carbon emissions 90 percent by 2040. The CEO said that shift was inspired by her own review of climate science. ‘We brought in experts on both sides of the climate debate to my senior management
team, and we had the debate as a team and studied the data and we really learned,’ she said. ‘As you do your homework and you do learn about the science and both the causation and the correlation between carbon levels and global temperatures, it really had
a significant impact on us to take much more aggressive actions than were mandated.’” [Politico,
10/1/19
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Greens Blast 'Anti-Electric Bus' Provision In
NDAA. According to E&E News, “Six environmental
groups today sounded the alarm about an ‘anti-electric bus provision’ in the Senate’s version of the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. In a letter to top lawmakers, the groups warned that the provision could chill the adoption of electric buses
in the United States, with consequences for the fight against climate change. ‘If adopted in the final legislation, this provision would mean that cities, racing to decarbonize their transit systems, will lose access to an important supplier of electric buses,’
the letter states. ‘As the transportation sector is now the largest source of carbon pollution, the electrification of municipal bus fleets is a critical part of addressing climate change and moving us towards the 100% clean economy we need.’ At issue is a
provision in the NDAA that would prohibit transit agencies from using federal dollars to purchase electric buses from Chinese-connected companies. The House version would apply only to rail cars; the Senate version would apply to both rail cars and buses.
The letter was addressed to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. Signing the missive were the Environmental Defense Fund, League of Conservation Voters, Friends of the Earth, Environmental Working Group, Environment
America and U.S. PIRG.” [E&E News, 9/30/19
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EPA
Obama EPA Enforcement Chief Slams Wheeler Over
Calif. Plans. According to E&E News,
“The top EPA enforcement official under President Obama criticized agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler over policies targeting California, saying data shows that environmental compliance is not the ‘real reason’ for the new edicts. In a letter emailed to Wheeler
today, former Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles wrote that California has ‘one of the best compliance records’ in the country. ‘lf you intend to hold California to account for water violations, the public would expect you to send equally tough oversight
letters to the 45 states with clean water and safe drinking water noncompliance worse than California’s,’ Giles wrote in the letter, shared with E&E News. Wheeler last week told California to clean up San Francisco sewers and curb drinking water violations.
He sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) outlining ‘deficiencies’ in the state’s enforcement of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act (Greenwire, Sept. 26). But Giles says the agency’s own data shows that 45 states have higher rates of violation
for one or both of the programs. Along with the letter, she included two charts with violation rates for different states for fiscal 2018. One shows that 42 states had a higher percentage of community water systems in violation of the Clean Water Act. The
other shows 23 states had a higher rate of major water dischargers in ‘significant non-compliance.’” [E&E News,
9/30/19
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States
Analysis:
Electric Cars Offer ‘Guilt-Free Driving’ And Aid The Climate. So Why Doesn’t Pennsylvania Have More?
According
to Justin McDaniel in the Philadelphia Inquirer, “When Ilya Knizhnik installed a car charging station on his West Philadelphia street in 2016, his family was the only one on the block planning to use an electric vehicle. But curious neighbors soon converted
to electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles. Now, about five households share the charger, he said. Two nearby blocks also have charging stations. ‘It’s one of the best options to promote electric cars, because people see it,’ said Knizhnik, a 36-year-old IT manager
who drives a fully electric Tesla Model 3. ‘It’s people putting in chargers for the neighbors and others to share.… It’s very much a sense of community.’ Knizhnik is one of thousands of Pennsylvanians who have switched to electric cars for the environmental
and financial benefits. It costs his family about six or seven dollars in electricity to drive their car 300 miles, he said, and they aren’t spewing carbon emissions from a tailpipe. Over the last decade, as the threat of climate change has sharpened, hybrid
and all-electric cars have become cheaper, their batteries have become longer-lasting, public charging stations have become more common, and consumer purchases of them have increased. Federal and state incentives — Pennsylvania offers up to $1,500 in rebates
to such car buyers — also help.” [Philadelphia Inquirer, 10/1/19
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New Effort
To Ramp Up Electric Vehicle Usage In N.J. According
to WHYY, “The state is moving to tackle one of its toughest climate action goals: putting 330,000 electric vehicles on the road in New Jersey in less than six years. In a step toward achieving that goal, the state Board of Public Utilities wants to hire a
consultant to administer a program to jump-start New Jersey’s efforts to electrify the transportation sector, which now accounts for 46% of emissions contributing to global warming. The BPU started the process Friday, a move clean-energy advocates hope will
revive the state’s push to transition to cleaner vehicles on New Jersey roads. New Jersey and other Northeastern states made the commitment to comply with California’s zero emission vehicle program. Uphill battle for electric cars So far, the success of that
effort has been mixed. Earlier this month, the Trump administration vowed to end a waiver that allows California and other states to set more stringent emission standards for vehicles. The action is likely to tie up the issue in courts for years, advocates
say. Perhaps more problematic, the state’s own efforts to convince drivers to switch to cleaner electric vehicles is slowing. This is due, in part, to growing demand for cleaner cars overseas, where they are more willing to pay more for electric vehicles,
as well as continued concerns about range anxiety — the fear motorists will run of out of juice before being able to recharge their batteries.” [WHYY,
9/30/19
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Colorado
Motorists Still Overwhelmingly Opt For Gas-Powered Vehicles. According
to Colorado Politics, “Colorado’s new car and truck dealers succeed by understanding and meeting the needs and desires of the state’s consumers. We enthusiastically offer customers any vehicle technology that’s in demand. We steer clear of pushing consumers
into vehicles they don’t want because we know that’s a recipe for failure. Ultimately, we trust Colorado consumers to decide what vehicle is right for them — and for our state. As Colorado Politics recently reported, the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association
endorsed the federal decision to prevent California and allied states like Colorado from setting their own onerous vehicle-emissions standards. As I noted at the time: ‘Conflicting standards set by the California cartel creates a complicated, contradictory
system that ultimately costs consumers.’ Colorado Politics columnist Hal Bidlack used this development to slam the federal move. Bidlack’s column correctly noted that Colorado’s auto dealers are in the business of selling cars. We don’t sell cars by telling
Colorado customers what they should drive — rather, we listen to and reflect their preferences. When it comes to choosing vehicle types and technology, Coloradans vote with their wallets, and few are choosing the electric vehicles (EVs), which have lost market
share here this year, falling below 3%. The vast majority of EV sales are concentrated in Colorado’s population centers. Denver and Boulder counties alone accounted for more than 36% of 2019 EV sales, according to news reports.” [Colorado Politics,
9/30/19
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Auto
Manufacturers
GM Strike Highlights How Shift To Electric Cars Puts Future Auto Jobs At Risk.
According to CNBC, “One of the greatest unknowns with ongoing labor negotiations between
the United Auto Workers union and General Motors isn’t about pay or benefits. Electric vehicles are upending the industry, saving some jobs as factories are retooled to build zero-emission vehicles but costing many times more in the long run. It’s a top concern
for union leaders as they negotiate a new labor deal for 158,000 unionized workers at the three Detroit automakers: Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler. GM CEO Mary Barra announced plans last November to cut up to 14,000 jobs, wind down five plants in North
America by the end of this year and shift the company’s workforce and lineup to build more electric and autonomous vehicles. ‘We are transforming our workforce through salaried and executive reductions as we move to an all-electric future,’ she told investors
in outlining the company’s new strategy in January. ‘These actions are also helping us fund the race to lead in the EV and AV technology development as automakers and tech companies alike compete to unlock new and potentially lucrative revenue streams through
mobility services.’ Some 48,000 GM workers are currently on strike as the UAW negotiates a new labor contract that could save some of those factories from closing down.” [CNBC,
9/30/19
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Opinion Pieces
Analysis: Why Haven’t We All Switched To Electric Cars Yet?
According to Harmon Leon in Observer, “Our ecosystem is messed up. This is not a partisan issue like some conservative politicians tend to make us believe through their fairy tale
conspiracy theories. Climate change is a fact backed up through science by… scientists. You know, scientists—those guys who do ‘science’ for a living through their research. Clearly, we can see the economic and ecological benefits of an electric vehicle (EV).
And it seems we’re very close to getting this whole electric car thing right, aren’t we? In fact, crafty tech innovator, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, just announced the potential of a million-mile electric car battery. So, what is the roadblock (get the car pun?)
that’s holding us back from truly weaning our society off of gas guzzling cars? Despite facing a climate crisis, many Americans are still committed to their petrol-fueled vehicles that burn oil, spew planet-killing carbon emissions and get horrible gas mileage,
while continually forking over cash at the gas pumps. Unless you’re an oil company executive who profits from the petrol elixir, shouldn’t we all be on the EV bandwagon? Electric cars are nothing new. In 1889, William Morrison invented the first successful
electric vehicle in the United States. During the Edison-Westinghouse days of the current wars, Americans went electricity crazy. In 1903, Thomas Edison developed nickel-iron batteries for automobiles. He then announced plans to convert four large touring
cars into electric vehicles. But in these early days of energy, America’s infrastructure was not in place for electric vehicles. Gas was actually cheaper than electricity.” [Observer,
9/30/19 (+)]
Chad Ellwood
Research Associate
202.448.2877 ext. 119