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The Department of Energy’s Argonne National Lab has just released a study showing that in 2021, US privately-owned plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs) “saved about 690 million gallons of gasoline.” But that is a huge exaggeration because fossil fuels provide 61% of the electricity in the US … so only about a third of that apparent savings is a real reduction in fossil fuel use, the equivalent of maybe 130 million gallons. The Argonne report also says that from 2010 to 2021, EVs have saved 2.1 billion gallons of gas. So let’s be generous and say...

A major push to replace America’s gasoline-powered cars with electric vehicles has not borne much fruit yet. According to a new study, America’s 2.1 million electric cars and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have saved the country some gasoline. A little. A smidge. In 2021, they saved almost two days’ worth of gasoline. It’s a hard number to trim America uses a lot of gasoline. The numbers are staggering. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Americans burned about 369 million gallons of gasoline per day in 2021. And that number was down a bit from historical highs. Many Americans drove fewer...

Xcel Energy-Colorado has filed a request for a new electric rate increase, which follows a recently approved natural gas rate hike and a $182.2 million jump in revenue for electric service that took effect in April. The request submitted to regulators Wednesday proposed a $312.2 million revenue increase. ... Critics of Xcel’s recent rate cases have accused the utility of “a pancaking” of increases. The PUC approved a $64.2 million rise in the utility’s natural gas rates in October. Regulators slashed the utility’s original proposal by $138 million. ... If the increase is approved, the typical residential bill would rise...

Eversource has asked the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to approve an increase that the company said could increase the electric bill for an average customer by nearly 50 percent, or $85 per month, on the supply portion of the bill. Eversource said, if approved, the increased rates would be in effect from Jan. 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023. Eversource is looking to increase the Standard Service Rate for residential customers who receive their energy supply from Eversource from 12.1 cents per kilowatt-hour to 24.2 cents per kWh, compared to 11.5 cents per kWh last winter, Eversource said. The...

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There are pledges and there are pledges. Some are realistic, others are not. Some are pure fantasy and are best left that way. Remember Joe Biden's pledge from 2019? “I want you to look at my eyes. I guarantee you, I guarantee you we’re going to end fossil fuels.” He repeated it recently "There is no more drilling. I haven't formed any new drilling," I guarantee you it won't happen. Were it possible, there would be no Christmas. Were it possible, you most likely would die and so would your kids. Facts are stubborn things. Joe Biden is determined to...

MADISON, Wis. — Utility bills for more than 150,000 customers in south-central Wisconsin are about to increase. Madison Gas and Electric is increasing rates by about 9% in January, which will result in customers paying about $8.20 more per month. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved the price hike Thursday night while also approving MG&E’s request to purchase part of Alliant Energy’s West Riverside Energy Center natural gas plant in Beloit. The move toward clean energy also includes a solar and wind farm. However, the cost of those initiatives has been increased by pandemic- and supply chain-related issues. “This...

California voters have rejected a tax increase on the wealthiest residents in the state that would have been used to fund electric vehicles. The Associated Press reported California voters rejected Proposition 30, a measure that would have increased taxes on incomes above $2 million to put more electric vehicles out on the roads. As of Wednesday morning, 42% of the votes had been counted. Fifty-nine percent voted “no” while 41% voted “yes.” The Associated Press noted the measure would have imposed a 1.75% tax on incomes above $2 million. According to the report, that is estimated to make up less...

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities on Sunday were investigating a New York City high-rise fire that injured over three dozen people and was traced to a faulty lithium-ion battery, the latest in a fast-growing series of battery blazes that have fire officials concerned. Authorities have pinpointed the cause of the blaze as a lithium-ion battery related to a “micromobility” device, a term for e-bikes, electric scooters and other items that help people get around. Chief Fire Marshal Daniel Flynn said there were at least five bikes in the apartment where the fire started. Investigators believe an occupant did bike repairs,...

Until we truly have a viable solution to replace fossil fuels, electric vehicles are more of a problem then most people realize.  Subject: Just wondering - Hurricane season with Electric Vehicles Imagine Florida with a hurricane coming toward Miami. The governor orders an evacuation. All cars head north. They all need to be charged in Jacksonville. How does that work? Has anyone thought about this? If all cars were electric and were caught up in a three-hour traffic jam with dead batteries, then what? Not to mention that there's virtually no heating or air conditioning in an electric vehicle...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- From his TARC stop at Broadway and 10th street to GE Building No. 5, Lanice Malone Jr. said it takes 45 minutes to get to work each day on the bus. Friday was even worse. "This bus is already late, so I'm probably going to get to work late," Malone said Friday. But it's not the late bus that bothered him most Friday. It was the busses he no longer sees on the road. Louisville is one of several cities that purchased first-generation Proterra electric busses, but TARC later idled the fleet. It spent $9 million...

President Joe Biden Made The Remarks During A Speech On The CHIPS & Science Act In San Diego, CA 11/4/22

Electric cars sales are up 66% this year. President Joe Biden promotes them, saying things like, "The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified" and, "There's no turning back." To make sure we have no choice in the matter, some left-leaning states have moved to ban gas-powered cars altogether. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order banning them by 2035. Oregon, Massachusetts and New York copied California. Washington state's politicians said they'd make it happen even faster, by 2030. Thirty countries also say they'll phase out gas-powered cars. But this is just dumb. It will not...

Electric cars sales are up 66% this year. President Joe Biden promotes them, saying things like, "The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified" and, "There's no turning back." To make sure we have no choice in the matter, some left-leaning states have moved to ban gas-powered cars altogether. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order banning them by 2035. Oregon, Massachusetts and New York copied California. Washington state's politicians said they'd make it happen even faster, by 2030. Thirty countries also say they'll phase out gas-powered cars. But this is just dumb. It will not...

As California, New York, and other states move to phase out the sale of gasoline-powered cars, public officials routinely echo the Biden administration’s claim that electric vehicles are a “zero emissions” solution that can significantly mitigate the effects of climate change. Car and energy experts, however, say there is no such thing as a zero-emissions vehicle: For now and the foreseeable future, the energy required to manufacture and power electric cars will leave a sizable carbon footprint. In some cases hybrids can be cleaner alternatives in states that depend on coal to generate electricity, and some suggest that it may...

As the U.S. government rolls out an array of climate measures included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), electric school buses have emerged as one of the low-hanging fruits. They can immediately improve health for children and communities, while expediting the broader transition to electric vehicles — a crucial step in preventing the worst impacts of climate change. That’s why it is great news that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just announced nearly $1 billion in rebate awards to 389 school districts. A full 95 percent of the buses funded will be...

by Becca London | RNNAn electric vehicle fire led to a temporary closure of a highway west of Vermillion, South Dakota, last week. The EV’s battery burst into fire, turning the car into an unrecognizable mess after the blaze was eventually put out.KELOLAND News, and news media outlet based in Sioux Falls, SD, reported:The Vermillion Fire EMS Department says it happened on Highway 50 near the Business Route exit just after 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Crews arriving on scene found a small car on fire with flames spreading into the ditch.Because flames had reached the cars high-voltage battery, firefighters secured...

An electric vehicle fire led to a temporary closure of a highway west of Vermillion, South Dakota, last week. The EV’s battery burst into fire, turning the car into an unrecognizable mess after the blaze was eventually put out. KELOLAND News, and news media outlet based in Sioux Falls, SD, reported: The Vermillion Fire EMS Department says it happened on Highway 50 near the Business Route exit just after 4 o’clock Tuesday afternoon. Crews arriving on scene found a small car on fire with flames spreading into the ditch. Because flames had reached the cars high-voltage battery, firefighters secured the...

Meeting federal emissions goals may require federal agencies to acquire about 30,000 emissions-free vehicles per year and about 25 times the current number of charging ports, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The Biden administration in December issued an executive order mandating all new federal vehicle acquisitions be emissions-free by 2035, with the requirement applying to all light-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2027. The order covers about 380,000 vehicles, including about 260,000 light-duty vehicles, according to the GAO report.

The US economy officially entered recession in July after two straight quarters of negative GDP growth. Inflation in the US today is the highest its been in over 40 years. Gas prices are soaring and peaked over $5 a gallon before receding slightly to their current rate. Granholm announced in August, “We know it’s a transition. But ultimately we are pressing on the accelerator to be able to move to ‘clean’ because if we don’t have to rely on the volatility of fossil fuels or of countries that are exporting fossil fuels that don’t have our interests at heart.” The...