A major component of President Biden’s green energy agenda to combat climate change is being met with mounting opposition as Republican officials and industry groups across the country prepare for their next potential legal battle with the administration.
More than 100 trade groups with ties to the transportation sector urged the White House on Tuesday to reverse course on the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to curtail vehicle emissions that would force automakers to phase out the majority of new gas-powered cars by 2030 and sell mostly electric vehicles.
Two of the industry organizations told The Washington Times that, as Republican attorneys general from 25 states prepare for a likely lawsuit, “all of our options are on the table” with litigation of their own over what they said was the administration exceeding its authority.
“Setting transformative, economy-wide energy and transportation policies is Congress’ job, not EPA’s,” Leslie Bellas, a vice president at American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, said during a call with reporters. “Congress has never come anywhere close to providing EPA with the authority it asserts here.”
White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi did not respond to a request for comment about the concerns from the trade groups, which included an array of industries such as trucking, Big Oil, construction, automakers, farmers, food and manufacturers.
Industry analysts and automakers have warned that forcing new EV sales to climb to 60% of new vehicles sold by 2030 is not feasible. They’ve also said it would likely increase dependence on China for critical minerals, weaken U.S. energy security and cause vehicle prices to soar.
Even with the $370 billion in clean energy incentives in Democrats’ tax and climate spending law known as the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a best-case scenario for EV sales of 17% by 2030 and plateauing until 2050, when the agency predicts EVs will represent less than 1 in 5 passenger cars and light trucks sold.
The EPA’s proposal would force those numbers to more than triple to 60% by 2030 and 67% by 2032. EVs accounted for less than 6% of new vehicles sold in 2022.
The industry groups argued that, given the EV sales projections, the administration “should consider opportunities to address emissions from the existing fleet.”
“While EPA’s proposals are not an explicit ban on internal combustion engines, the proposals are a de facto ban that will eliminate competition, distort the market and restrict consumer choice,” said Will Hupman, a vice president at the American Petroleum Institute.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, one of 25 Republican AGs who has told the EPA its proposal is “unlawful, unwise and unsustainable,” told The Times he and his GOP colleagues are prepared to take legal action.
Dan Byers, vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute, told reporters Tuesday that he has fears about electrical grid reliability, the lack of EV charging stations and the need for more critical minerals used in EV batteries.
“The reality is these proposed standards go too far, too fast,” Mr. Byers said.
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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