States are divided on EV adoption. Each races to pass legislation solidifying their position:
Utah senator, Mike Lee, is trying to rally colleagues to keep EVs out of the US biofuel program. The current Renewable Fuel Standard would allow EV manufacturers to tap into a multibillion-dollar market for tradable renewable fuels credits, with EV-makers generating credits if their vehicles are powered by electricity from plants that use biofuels. The senator fears this would provide an unfair advantage to the EV market, thus diminishing ICE vehicles and undermining fossil fuel demand.
Not so fast. Lee is getting pushback as even the biofuels industry is aligned with EVs in its initiatives to fight climate change.
Virginia Senate defeated an effort to repeal their existing Clear Cars law. Concerns over EVs affordability and power grid capacity have the state’s senate evaluating the best next step.
Not so fast. While the Senate renewed its commitments to clean energy, the Governor still leads the opposition, illustrating the ongoing dissonance within state lines.
New Jersey governor, Phil Murphy, signed several executive orders last week that outline new EV regulations. The order established a commitment to exclusively selling zero-emission vehicles by 2035. NJ joins New York, Washington, and Vermont in officially adopting California’s Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulations.
Not so fast. Murphy addressed some potential concerns head-on, saying, “We are taking big steps in our fight against climate change. Let me make one thing perfectly clear at the outset…no one is coming for anyone’s gas stove. No one is walking into anyone’s kitchen.” Whew!