Well, this is very interesting — Wyoming has introduced state legislation to ban the sale of new electric vehicles by 2035 to 'ensure the stability' of its oil and gas industry. This, after car manufacturers and the federal government have pushed so hard to incentivize drivers to purchase or lease electric vehicles. This may be shocking to you, but it’s important to look in to the impact to Wyoming and what this state wants for its residents. So here is why:
This announcement comes as a total of 17 states, including New York, Colorado and Oregon, are implementing vehicle emission standards tied to rules established in California and CARB, the California Air Research Board. They are agreeing with the decisions to follow California's strictest-in-the-nation new regulations that require all new cars, pickups, and SUVs to be electric or hydrogen-powered by 2035. The push back from other states has begun.
The state of Wyoming announced Friday, Senate Joint Resolution 4, which aims to preserve the state's oil, coal and gas industry. The bill notes that Wyoming lacks a charging station infrastructure and is concerned about the waste caused by used electric vehicle batteries that cannot be recycled. This is a real concern, as we have discussed in past segments.
Wyoming officials are arguing that oil and gas production have created countless jobs and contributed massive revenue to the state of Wyoming throughout its history. Without this industry, Wyoming would have less taxes income and less cashflow to invest back in to the state. This is a simple concept, no resident wants to increase their taxes to cover the loss in state revenue or see an increase in unemployment ten-fold.
The proposed legislation comes from a group of lawmakers led by Senator Jim Anderson. In 2021, Wyoming was placed as the eighth top oil producer in the US, producing 85.43 million barrels. I wonder if the passing of this resolution will also open up conversations from the other oil producing states, as they may consider similar resolutions?
The impact to the state of Wyoming would be huge. Approximately 100 companies are operating 30,000 miles of pipelines, not including the gathering systems or inactive or abandoned pipelines. This would end more than 68,000 jobs in the state's oil and gas industry.
In addition, the bill praises gas-powered vehicles as enabling the state's industries and businesses to ship goods and resources across the U.S. Lawmakers also noted that the U.S. have consistently invested in the oil and gas industry to sustain gas-powered vehicles, and that investment has resulted in the continued employment of thousands of union workers in the oil and gas industry in Wyoming and throughout the country.
On the other hand, the shift to electric vehicles would cause harm and negative impact on Wyoming's communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming's economy and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce.
The bill encourages Wyoming residents to limit the sale and purchase of new EVs and aim to phase them out entirely by 2035.
Speaking to the Cowboy State Daily, Senator Brian Boner, said “It's a very serious issue that deserves some public discussion... I'm interested in making sure that the solutions that some folks want to the so-called climate crisis are actually practical in real life.”
Banning the sale of a certain types of vehicles is just as bad as mandating another. The choice should be yours! The big question is: could this train of thought now spread to other state's' legislators? Probably. It’s certainly will open up discussions.
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Lauren Fix, The Car Coach is a nationally recognized automotive expert, media guest, journalist, author, keynote speaker and television host. A trusted car expert, Lauren provides an insider’s perspective on a wide range of automotive topics and safety issues for both the auto industry and consumers. Her analysis is honest and straightforward.