NYT Column: The High Cost of Trump’s Anti-EV Policies

In yesterday’s New York Times guest essay, Robinson Meyer, a contributing opinion writer and the founding executive editor of Heatmap, makes a powerful case for why Donald Trump’s anti-EV, anti-clean energy agenda — parroted by Senate candidate Mike Rogers — is leaving America behind in the global race to develop the clean energy technologies of the future. Both Trump and Rogers have received major campaign support from the oil industry.

The stakes are especially high for Michigan, where the Biden-Harris administration’s clean energy plan has sparked more than $26 billion in new clean energy investments that will create more than 21,000 new jobs. Michigan is leading the nation in clean energy projects since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, all of which is at risk if Trump retakes the White House and follows through on his promise to trash America’s emerging clean energy economy — especially if Mike Rogers provides the 50th Senate vote to help him.

Excerpts from the NYT:

“During the final years of the 2010s, the Trump administration proudly tore up dozens of policies meant to lower American greenhouse gas emissions and build a competitive domestic clean energy industry. It prioritized oil, coal and natural gas businesses over wind, solar and batteries, and as president, Donald Trump often seemed to revel in picking policies that would increase emissions by design.”

“These choicescame with costs: American automakers failed to make their cars more efficient, and within a few years, they had fallen behind their international competition, especially South Korean and Chinese automakers.”

“If Mr. Trump returns to Washington, he has promised to once again pull us out of the Paris climate agreement, which the United States had rejoined under the Biden administration. He again wants to kill the country’s clean car standards. And he’s threatened to cut off the generous federal subsidies for selling and building electric vehicles in the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden’s signature climate policy.”

“Mr. Trump’s policies would devastate America’s growing electric vehicle industry. They would allow China to consolidate its control of the world’s electric vehicle and lithium-ion battery industries, and they would hamstring American — or European or East Asian — companies from developing the necessary expertise to compete with China.”

“America has fallen behind China in large part because Mr. Trump killed our climate policies. With him once again in the Oval Office, America would be at risk of falling even further behind.”

“But the combination of Mr. Trump’s apathy and China’s investment means America is now rushing to catch up to China’s lead in the solar, wind, battery and electric vehicle industries. It is an open question whether it can get there.”

“But failing to build a competitive electric vehicle industry would present chronic trade and security concerns for the United States. Within the decade, electric vehicles will be just another type of car, and many countries will encourage people to switch to them. As such, American automakers’ markets will continue to shrink.”

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