Green Policies Won’t Keep California Truckin’

realclearenergy.org ^ | 7/29/2020 | Joel Kotkin

[rktman]

The state’s new electrification mandate for trucks will threaten working-class jobs and widen income inequality.

No state advertises its green credentials more than California. That these policies often hurt the economy, driving up housing costs and narrowing opportunities for working-class people while not even doing much for the environment, has not discouraged the state’s environmental overlords.

Consider the state’s insistence on electrifying transportation. Even as California reduces its reliable sources of power, notably nuclear and national gas, it is mandating a statewide shift to all-electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks starting in 2024, with the goal of reaching 100 percent of all new sales, wherever feasible, by 2045. On top of other electrification mandates for light-duty cars and buildings, the new truck rule will further increase the state’s demand for electricity and raise rates, already among the nation’s highest. Since 2011, electricity prices have increased five times as fast as the national average. In 2017 alone, they increased at three times the national rate.

[rktman]

And, consider that a lot of locations in cali are now basically outlawing the use of natural gas in new construction. Yup, going all electric and pushing only renewables. What could possibly go wrong?

[Leaning Right]

> Green Policies Won’t Keep California Truckin’ <

Communists don’t care about actual results. They only care about appearances.

True story from the old Soviet Union:

A Soviet nails factory was given a tonnage quota for the coming year. The manager realized he could best meet that quota by making really big nails. And so the quota was met, and the manager got a medal.

But there was no need for these huge nails. So they just sat in some back lot and rusted. No one cared.

[alloysteel]

Quotas can be troublesome things.

But hey, shape the message for the outcome you want, never mind the need. And if the outcome is never achieved, then redouble the efforts. Then the beatings will stop.

Makes no difference if the horse is already dead.

[T-Bird45]

Since it’s CA, I guess most won’t freeze to death but it seems starvation could be a good bet.

[rey]

I work as a Cal Fire vendor running dozers. I do not think this idea is going to work too well for us.

As a side note, people who have been in a wildland fire or have had to evacuate want nothing to do with electric vehicles. After a fire, light pick up sales always jump.

[Hardastarboard]

PJ O’Rourke wrote something like that once. His comment was that in the old Soviet Union, if the demand was for 3,000 men’s shoes, you got 3,000 size 8, black, left shoes. If the demand was for 3,000 pounds of shoes, you got one giant concrete shoe.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

No big deal. The elites and government class will still get armored truck deliveries.

[Openurmind]

This is impossible. Even if they had all electric Trucks they would have to reroute all the power from homes to supply it. Absolutely no way they can do both. They are already crying about not being able to supply homes and businesses as it is.