California Energy Policies Are ‘Economically Destructive’ Beyond Its Borders, Expert Says

A policy expert has weighed in on the true cost of California’s energy policies as the Senate is set to vote on whether to revoke California’s embargo on sales of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks by 2035.

The House of Representatives has already voted to revoke the Biden-era Environmental Protection Agency exemption for California’s ban on gas-powered passenger vehicles on a 246-to-164 tally. Thirty-five Democrats joined Republicans to vote in favor of the resolution. 

The Senate needs only 51 votes, not 60, to pass the measure as it is being considered under the Congressional Review Act, which exempts it from the filibuster. 

Wayne Winegarden, a senior fellow in business and economics at the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), a free market think tank based in Pasadena, California, discussed with The Daily Signal the impacts of California’s energy policies and how the prospective ban on gas vehicles would hurt Americans.

Winegarden explained that what California does with cars has a broader effect across the auto market in the U.S. About a dozen states have adopted California’s prospective ban on new gasoline-powered vehicles.

“It’s a really problematic policy, because it’s not just economically destructive, but it’s also because of [California’s] size. It influences things well beyond our borders,” he said. 

About 30% of the automobile market in the U.S. is affected by the actions of California. 

Increasing the reliance on electric vehicles could also be expensive if that means having to install new infrastructure, build new vehicles, and rely on more renewable energy sources at the expense of nuclear power and natural gas.

A new PRI study authored by Kerry Jackson and Winegarden found that California’s so-called green transition policies could cost up to $20,000 per household in the state between 2025 and 2050. The study reinforces the conclusion that an emphasis on solar and wind power sources do not actually lower energy costs. Past research conducted by PRI predicted that California could find itself 21.2% below its needed daily power supply by 2045.

Winegarden noted that updating infrastructure and the power grid to deal with more electric vehicles and to accommodate solar and wind power still needs to be done. He emphasized that many apartments do not have garages where residents can park their cars overnight while they charge, and therefore many individuals with electric vehicles would have to use public chargers. 

Winegarden also highlighted problems associated with relying on energy sources that do not always operate consistently. 

“The bottom line is the solar and wind are intermittent sources, and that creates a lot of issues,” he explained. 

Owing to governmental green mandates, California residents already pay 56% more in energy costs than the U.S. average despite using 34% less energy. 

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