Free Republic

Tesla now qualifies for federal subsidies after agreeing to universalize a portion of its nearly 17,000 electric vehicle (EV) chargers to assist the Biden administration’s goal of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, according to Axios... Of the $25 billion for EVs, Tesla will receive a portion of the $7.5 billion in federal incentives set aside for EV charging stations, according to Politico.

Taking an electric car on a road trip can be a stressful experience - at least according to a couple who took their Kia EV6 on a cross-country trip from Michigan to Florida. Axios reporter Joann Muller said her husband took the electric car on a 1,500 mile road trip - she joined him part-way through - to see if the US is truly ready for mass EV adoption. While electric cars are becoming more prevalent, charging infrastructure isn't quite what it should be, Muller wrote. "We were constantly thinking about where to charge next," Muller wrote of her experience...

Here’s the math. Suppose that, on a cold winter’s day in 2050, all 3.5 million EVs are connected to the state’s power grid. None are being driven and all are fully charged. And suppose that improved battery technology means each provides an average of 100 kWh of electricity. That’s 350 million kWh in total, or 350 gigawatt-hours (GWh). Sounds like a lot. According to the most recent forecast prepared by New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), which oversees operation of the state’s electric generating plants and transmission system, total electricity demand in 2050 will be just under 200,000 GWh. That’s...

On Friday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said that the Biden administration thinks gas prices “should continue coming down,” and there have been “historic spreads between the cost of crude oil and the cost that’s being paid at the pump. So, we’re calling on those who own those gas stations to bring down the price.” Host Andrea Mitchell asked, “Bottom line, can you do anything to bring down gas prices between now and the election a month from now?” Adeyemo responded, “So, Andrea, we think that gas prices should continue coming down, because we’ve...

The developed world has advanced mightily over 60 years, increasing its lifespan and per capita income. But such growth has been a double-edged sword: using cheap fossil fuels has enabled the good fortune, but it has also created an environmental hazard that could lead to irreversible damage. Now is the time to address this inequity. Indeed, there’s been a cost to fossil fuel development that oil, gas, and coal companies have not borne. In other words, CO2 and other greenhouse gases have not generally been taxed — a cost that the greater society has picked up. Enter carbon credits, which...

Germany has made significant progress towards reducing its exposure to imports of Russian gas, oil and coal since Russia invaded Ukraine, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Friday. Germany is trying to wean itself off Russian energy in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, but this is an uphill battle after decades of relying on Russia for energy supplies. Habeck said imports of Russian oil now accounted for 25% of German imports, down from 35% before the invasion, and gas imports have been cut to 40% from 55%. Russian hard coal imports were down to 25% from 50% before the...

Ruling Class laptop war-hawks commence a dangerous new weaponization of money. Among the cognoscenti of the Western capitals of politics and finance, the chorus screams unanimously for ever-escalating economic sanctions against Russia. Lost amidst the cacophony of those calling for a historic financial bloodletting is a dispassionate and careful analysis of the potential peril of such unprecedented collective actions. Specifically, for the first time ever, the powers of the Western World align to purposefully and willfully destroy the currency of a major power – and not just any power, but the most armed nuclear force on earth. The decision to...

CIA Director Leon Panetta says former Vice President Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration's approach to terrorism almost suggests "he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point." Panetta told The New Yorker for an article in its June 22 issue that Cheney "smells some blood in the water" on the issue of national security.

CIA Director Leon Panetta says former Vice President Dick Cheney's criticism of the Obama administration's approach to terrorism almost suggests "he's wishing that this country would be attacked again, in order to make his point." Panetta told The New Yorker for an article in its June 22 issue that Cheney "smells some blood in the water" on the issue of national security. ... Last month the former vice president offered a withering critique of Obama's policies and a defense of the Bush administration on the same day that Obama made a major speech about national security. Panetta said of Cheney's...