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on September 24, 2020
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California To Ban the Sale of New Gas and Diesel Cars and Trucks By 2035

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

Yesterday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed and executive order that will ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel powered cars and trucks in California by 2035. This is exactly why thousands of Minnesotans oppose the Walz administration's plan to adopt California car mandates in our state. California's new order directs the California Air Resources Board (CARB), an unelected bureaucracy, to develop a phase-out plan that would require 100 percent zero-emissions personal use and drayage vehicles by 2035 and as many medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicle applications deemed feasible by 2045, Fox News reports. It makes zero sense that California would essentially mandate the...

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on August 21, 2020
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Xcel’s Electric Vehicle Scheme Will Give Wealthy Liberals More of Your Money

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

Last weekend, the Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote an article about Xcel Energy's plans to increase the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by giving rebates of up to $2,500 to people who purchase EVs. These rebates, which would most likely be paid to wealthy urban liberals, would be paid for using your money. Xcel Energy is NOT a Private Company It's always important to remember that Xcel isn't really a private business, they are a government approved monopoly. As an Xcel customer, you have no freedom to choose another provider if you want to shop around for a better deal....

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on July 16, 2020
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Biden’s New Energy Plan Is Terrible

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

On Tuesday, July 14, 2020, presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden released his updated plan for energy, which calls for expanding renewable energy mandates to meet a 100 percent carbon-free electric grid by 2035, spending billions of dollars on wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage, an ill-conceived plan to make the entire fleet of school buses electric, a dedication to money-losing energy efficiency projects, subsidizing electric vehicles (EVs), and using taxpayer dollars to build EV charging stations. A child's Christmas list to Santa Claus is more realistic than this plan, but it is necessary for us to take a look at...

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on June 10, 2020
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Electric Vehicle Costs Fall, But They’re Still Unprofitable

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

Electric vehicles (EVs) have become a major focal point for liberal environmentalist groups and politicians who want to turn Minnesota into a Cold California by mandating California car regulations in our state, and pass legislation like the ECO Act that would force all Minnesota families to pay more for their electricity to subsidize electric vehicles. However, no matter how much the government tries to use a combination of force and subsidies to increase EV adoption in our state, they can't change the fact that most EVs are unprofitable. New research from Lux research shows that despite cost declines for EVs they are...

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on June 04, 2020
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By Delaying Line 3 Replacement, Again, The Walz Administration is Flagrantly Ignoring “The Science”

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

Governor Walz loves to pretend that scientific evidence is the primary driver for the decisions he makes in St. Paul, but his actions show otherwise. In reality, Walz's mantra of "following the science"is just a thinly-veiled smokescreen for doing whatever he wanted to do anyway to serve his own purposes. Line 3 is a perfect example....

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on December 31, 2019
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This Year in Energy and Environment: 2019 Edition

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

With 2020 upon us, I'd like to reflect back on 2019 because it was a banner year for energy and environmental issues here at Center of the American Experiment. Here are some of the highlights from each month. In January, American Experiment submitted comments to the U.S. Forest Service in support of the lease renewal for the Twin Metals Minnesota mine. Since then Twin Metals has submitted its mine plan to state and federal agencies for review. We also covered the fact that wind and solar were not working during Polar Vortex in real time, highlighting the dangers of relying upon...

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on September 30, 2019
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As $7,500 Federal Subsidies Expire, Electric Vehicles Are About to Get More Expensive

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

You may not have known this, but the federal government has been subsidizing electric vehicles (EV's) to the tune of a $7,500 tax credit for every electric vehicle sold. In fact, the subsidy is a major reason why we're starting to see more Tesla's tooling around the Twin Cities, but there's a catch: the subsidy begins to disappear after a manufacturer has sold 200,000 units, and Tesla has hit this threshold, meaning the growth of Elon's EV's could slow moving forward. The phase out of the tax credits comes at a bad time for Tesla, after the EV automaker announced it would...

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on April 03, 2019
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House DFL Wants To Give People $2,500 Rebates for Electric Car Purchases

Written by Isaac Orr
in Energy

DFL lawmakers in the Minnesota House of Representatives have proposed providing $2,500 rebates for Minnesotans who purchase new electric vehicles under $60,000. No one in my family has ever purchased a vehicle that expensive, and frankly, I never plan on purchasing such a pricey ride, either. Electric car buyers already get a $7,500 tax credit from the federal government, so this additional rebate, if enacted, would make the handout a cool $10,000 for the predominately white, wealthy, liberals who purchase electric vehicles, courtesy of low and middle income families. This is just something to keep in mind as you watch Governor Walz's...

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