Lawmakers Shouldn’t California Californicate Virginia or America on Electric Vehicles and Green Energy
Paul Driessen
At the opening of the 30-day session on January 11, the Virginia Senate and House of Representatives must correct some serious energy mistakes they made two years ago, when the Democrats controlled almost the entire state government and through “Virginia Clean Economy Act.”
One of the party line provisions requires Virginia to adopt California’s requirement that only low-emissions vehicles (LEVs) be sold in the 2025 model year and only zero-emissions vehicles. (ZEV) before MY 2035. That means that within the next twelve years only, only new electric vehicles (electric vehicles) may be sold in Virginia.
Once again mimicking California, in addition to electric vehicles, the VCEA also requires a major shift from reliable, affordable coal and natural gas-generated electricity to costly, dependent solar and wind power. weather dependent, land-intensive, stabilized and supported by giant batteries.
As I explained before (here, here, here and here), which is not possible. Texas, Buffalo and the Midwest have proven that heavy reliance on wind and sun can cause deadly power outages during blizzards. California asked residents not to charge their electric vehicles that were about to become mandatory during last summer’s heatwave, to avoid power outages. Switzerland may ban electric vehicle charging this winter for the same reason.
The Virginia Suburban Republican Coalition (SUVGOP) recognizes these realities and understands that wind turbines, solar panels, and transmission lines will not be in Democratic strongholds like Alexandria, Arlington. , Falls Church and Richmond. They will be beautiful countryside Virginia, which will also be hardest hit by the ban on gasoline and diesel vehicles. As a result, SUVGOP has embarked on a journey to reverse these disincentive laws, by launching a campaign to deregulate LEV/ZEV.
SUVGOP calls its campaign “Don’t CA me VA.” (When I lived in the Centennial State, bumper stickers declared a more vulgar version of this message: “Don’t choose Colorado.”)
The arguments for avoiding or ending the LEV/ZEV missions are convincing – for Virginia and the United States.
* While great for short trips and some car drivers, trams won’t get you very far on an 800-mile vacation trip; recharging can take hours, depending on many factors; and more limited charging stations beyond major highways.
* You don’t want to be stuck in your electric vehicle when evacuating from a storm or blizzard, especially when the inherently limited battery life is reduced in cold weather and when using heaters or air conditioners.
* Electric vehicles (and backup batteries) can ignite into chemical-fuelled flames, especially if they are immersed in water. That could be catastrophic and deadly if the EV is in an underground house or garage (or on a cargo ship loaded with EVs). Fire cannot be extinguished with water.
* Electric vehicle required 3-4 times metal than internal combustion cars: copper, iron, nickel, aluminum, cobalt, lithium, rare earths and others. Such documents are not only available through the Material Collection for Global Industrial Change (MAGIC) mechanism. They have to be dug up and disposed of, somewhere.
Only the Chinese company BYD Auto used 13,000 tons of copper to produce electric vehicles by 2016. Based on current average porous ore reserves, every 100,000 tons of copper needs to be processed 23,000,000 tons of copper oreafter removing 35,000,000 tons of rock above – using explosives and fossil fuels!
Start calculating how many billion tons of copper and other metals and minerals will be required for all EVs, wind turbines, solar panels, transmission lines, backup batteries and grid stabilization . Virginia, or your state, or the United States or the whole world, is planning to trust. Then calculate how many trillion tons of ore is needed – and how much mining, blasting, processing and fuel.
Where will all that work take place? In whose backyard? Given the extent of ecological destruction, air and water pollution, hazardous waste generation, slave and child labor, and human health risks?
Energy and “clean” vehicles? There may be no emissions from the Virginia EV exhaust – possibly even at the mains, if it comes from wind or solar power, when the wind blows and the sun shines.
But there is no “zero emissions” for mining, processing and manufacturing. It just happens elsewhereusually in Africa or Asia, often done by Chinese companies – affects other people air and water quality, landscape, arable land, wildlife habitat, wildlife, health and welfare.
Meanwhile, millions of acres of land in Virginia and the United States will be covered by turbines, panels, transformers and transmission lines; Millions of birds, bats and other animals are killed every year.
Bottom line: There is no such thing as a “clean, green, renewable, sustainable” energy or vehicle. It’s just a matter of where and how and how much material extraction and processing, production and emissions take place. It’s just a matter of how good “green” PR programs are; and whether American environmentalists, journalists, and politicians recognize… or cancel and censor… these realities.
Earth’s atmospheric, oceanic, and climate systems are Global. Habitat loss and species are one Global problem. We should think globally and act locally.
Regarding battery backup, VCEA requires the purchase of 3,100 megawatts of storage. Assuming the legislator means 3,100 megawatt-hours, this would require about 36,000 85 kWh half-ton Tesla modules; and it would still meet less than 1% of Virginia’s average daily needs Power consumption (and less than 0.5% of its peak demand). This does not include batteries to stabilize wind-solar grid fluctuations.
Therefore, Virginia legislators also need to address these extremely important issues – with some precision:
* How many wind turbines, solar panels, transformers, battery back-up/grid modules and miles of new transmission lines The Old Dominion need to replace now available coal and gas production?
* How much more will be needed after half of all cars, trucks and buses run on electricity? After restaurants and new homes and remodeled homes are forced to use electric and water heating, stoves and ovens, instead of gas – and upgrade electrical systems in homes and neighborhoods to handle the extra loads?
* Where and on whose property will all these “renewable” power lines and systems be installed? How many million acres of land and coastal areas (and their wild animals) will be affected? Will residents or local authorities be able to veto the development? How long will the famous domain name be used?
* How many million (billion?) tons of metals, minerals, carbon fiber composites, plastics, concrete and other materials are needed? How much ore, overload and fuel? How many tons of pollution will be emitted in total during the extraction-processing-production-transportation process?
* How many of these materials (and turbines, panels, battery modules and transformers) will come from China or other hostile countries, or their respective representatives ?
* All of this work will be done under public pollution control, wildlife and endangered species protection, workplace safety, slave and child labor, and Other “responsible sourcing” laws?
* Where will be the worn out, damaged and outdated, giant solar panels wind turbine blades and other non-recyclable devices go to landfill?
* How many billions or trillions of dollars will all of this cost Virginia and US taxpayers and taxpayers?
It takes more than declaring that actions taken under the “clean economy” law are “in the public interest” to make it so. It is important for legislators to look beyond the exhaust pipe, and beyond the borders of Virginia or the United States, to avoid destroying the planet with wind and sun, to save it from fossil fuels and “man-made climate change.”
The 2023 legislative session is a perfect opportunity to start rethinking the assumptions, misconceptions, and mandate of the “clean economy” – and practice-based implementation. Environment-Society-Governance (ESG) principles. Are Virginia’s legislators up to the task?
Paul Driessen is the Committee’s senior policy analyst for a Constructive Tomorrow.www.CFACT.org) and author of numerous books and articles on energy, environmental, climate and human rights issues.
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