Getty Images
Disclaimer: This article may contain the personal views and opinions of the author.
California Governor Gavin Newsom continues his radical climate change policies with a plan to “electrify” heavy-duty trucks.
A group of House Republicans, who live in reality, wrote a letter to the governor excoriating him for his crackdown on diesel-powered trucks.
In the letter, Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif, and seven other GOP representatives from California explained to Newsom that his plan is not logical.
It will greatly increase grid instability, especially during peak power demand.
Experts have warned that this push to transition passenger cars and heavy vehicles to electric would require “a massive expansion of electric power generation to account for additional grid load.”
“While we support continued investment in alternative energy production and more sustainable technologies, the reality is that electric trucks are not yet a viable alternative to diesel and gas-powered trucks, especially given the unreliable capabilities of the state’s electrical grid,” the Republican lawmakers wrote in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital.
“In September 2022, California’s electric grid was stressed, and consumers were asked to reduce energy use to avoid rolling blackouts,” the letter continued.
“During this time, the California Independent System Operator said that the state’s grid hit a new all-time record of 52,061 megawatts. While the grid was able to sustain this use thanks to conservation efforts from residents, the demand for energy would have been much greater had thousands of heavy trucks been reliant on power from the state’s grid.”
According to Fox News:
Under the standards, truck manufacturers will be required to rapidly accelerate sales of zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles. By 2035, 75% of new bus and large truck sales, 55% of new small truck sales, and 40% of new tractor-trailer sales in California must be electric. By 2045, all new heavy truck sales must be electric under an executive order Newsom signed in 2020.
When Newsom made his announcement on March 31, he called it a “big deal for climate action.”
“We’re leading the charge to get dirty trucks and buses – the most polluting vehicles – off our streets, and other states and countries are lining up to follow our lead around the world.”
He’s not wrong about that. Several states have laws on the books that follow California’s vehicle emissions standards. If these states follow suit, it’ll represent almost one-quarter of the national truck market.
The lawmakers pointed to data from the California Trucking Association. It concluded that “the additional weight of electric truck batteries could force these heavy trucks to lessen their load capacity by around 8,000 pounds.”
“This electric vehicle mandate would require more trucks and drivers to transport goods at a time when the trucking industry is already facing a worker shortage of nearly 80,000 drivers,” the letter stated.
The environment might be the winner in Newsom’s plan, but Californians, and eventually all Americans will suffer the consequences.
Other issues highlighted in the letter include the lack of electric infrastructure, the time it’ll take to recharge these vehicles, and the massive costs that will trickle down to consumers.
The lawmakers urged the governor to reconsider his mandate instead suggesting a more “reasonable and practical approach to sustainable technologies and alternative energy production.”
