Over 150 GOP Congressmembers Ask Biden To Reject California’s Waiver Request For Electric Vehicle Rules

On Wednesday, a group of more than 150 Republican congressmembers sent a letter to President Biden asking him to reject a waiver request from California that will set strict new green energy car rules.

According to Fox News, the new rules would require 35% of all new car sales in California to be electric vehicles by 2026, with all internal combustion engines (ICE) banned by 2035.

Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), who led the group, released a statement explaining that this “ban raises serious questions regarding the reliability of an already-stressed electric grid, the need to generate additional power, the accessibility of critical minerals needed for increased electrification, and the role of the government in consumer choice.”

“It is disconcerting that California is attempting to ban ICE vehicles when there have already been real world examples showing California’s grid will not be able to handle the increased electric load. For example, in early September, the California Independent System Operator, which manages the grid, sent a Flex Alert to residents asking them to reduce their electricity use,” the letter said. “This included a call to set thermostats higher and avoid plugging in major appliances. Under the new ban on ICE vehicles and with the goal of full electrification, California residents may face a future where they will be unable to get to work, shop for groceries at the local market, or pick up their kids from school because they will be unable to charge their vehicles when they want or need.”

“These grid reliability concerns are so obvious that they cannot be ignored. Clearly, the goal of [the State of California’s Air Resource Board (CARB)] new regulation is to put California on a path towards full electrification of the on-road fleet, which would mean the state would need to be able to generate enough electricity to continuously charge 30 million registered vehicles,” the letter continued. “If the state’s electric grid is currently struggling to handle more demand for electricity, how will it be able to integrate the additional 2,250,000,000 kWhs it will need to charge its fleet (average 75 kWh electric vehicle battery)?”

The group then listed additional issues with the potential ban, including an increased reliance on “hostile nations like China for the critical minerals that are necessary for the manufacture of EVs, charging stations, and batteries. In fact, China controls more than 70 percent of the world’s lithium-ion battery production.”

“These issues represent a small sample of the reasons why the EPA should reject California’s request for a waiver of the CAA presumption provisions,” the letter concluded. “Not only are there technical and logistical barriers, but also philosophical concerns with telling the American people what products they can and cannot buy. We urge you to consider these concerns and allow them to inform EPA’s final decision on the waiver.”