Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) said a continuation of President Joe Biden's "net-zero" energy policies would be bad news for consumers who are looking for lower costs.
Former President Donald Trump's running mate argued Vice President Kamala Harris wouldn't hesitate to continue the administration's "net-zero" plan, which will require 67% of all new vehicles sold in the United States to be fully electric by 2032.
"Growing up in Ohio, I learned the hard way that poverty breaks families," Vance wrote in the Wall Street Journal. "To break the cycle of dependency, families need to be able to rely on a growing and dynamic economy that generates wealth and opportunity. But an economy that works for working Americans is possible only when we have reliable, abundant, low-cost energy."
Vance also blasted "unproven" carbon-capture technology, which coal plants and new and modified natural gas plants will have to adopt by 2032 or risk closing.
"Grid regulators are sounding the alarm," he wrote. "With coal plants shutting down and few large natural-gas or nuclear plants being built, America’s electricity grid faces significant contraction."
"She thinks windmills and the sun will come to the rescue," he continued. "But she is dreaming. Variable solar and wind can’t take the place of large base-load generators. Utilities added barely 20 gigawatts of solar capacity to the grid last year, and the real 'accredited capacity' as measured by grid operators is only a fraction of that."
Vance worried that China would continue to construct coal plants despite a U.S. "net-zero" policy and would not only beat the U.S. in energy while adding jobs but also pollute the environment.
Vance linked his attack on Harris's energy policies to inflation, a top concern for voters who are uncomfortable with the state of the economy under Biden and Harris. Going green in the U.S. could cost trillions and hurt voters' wallets in the short term at least.
The Trump-Vance ticket has embraced natural gas and coal mining more than the Harris campaign, a stance that could get them support in battleground states like Pennsylvania.
"President Trump has made it crystal clear we will end the net-zero energy policies shutting down investment in electricity capacity," he said. "Instead, we will pave the way for a massive energy expansion. We will streamline permitting, end the distorting effects of federal subsidies, unleash private investment, and lay the groundwork for a historic expansion in American energy capacity."
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Trump recently mulled ending the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit, saying, “Tax credits and tax incentives are not generally a very good thing." In the same interview, he said he would appoint Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who heads an electric car company, to his Cabinet "if he would do it."
“I’m not making any final decisions on it,” Trump said of the EV tax credit. “I’m a big fan of electric cars, but I’m a fan of gasoline-propelled cars and also hybrids and whatever else happens to come along.”
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