Getting rid of tailpipe-pollution standards won't just hurt the environment, it also will drive up fuel costs, according to a new report by Energy Innovation.
"When you are putting fewer efficient electric vehicles on the road, you're also driving up demand for gasoline and diesel," explained Sara Baldwin, senior director of electrification at Energy Innovation, according to The Verge. "And as a result of that, households are going to be paying more to drive."
"This will have an adverse impact not just on the U.S. economy, but at the household level, at the kitchen-table level," Baldwin added.
What's happening?
As part of its dramatic policy U-turn on cleaner, renewable sources of energy — as well as more efficient electric vehicles — the current administration has sought to do away with tailpipe-pollution standards and fuel-economy requirements. While these policy changes will result in more heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere, contributing to rising global temperatures, they will also increase demand for gasoline and diesel fuel, making those commodities more expensive.
Additionally, under recent changes to the law, tax credits and other incentives aimed at encouraging Americans to purchase cleaner, more efficient electric vehicles have ended years before originally planned. This will mean far fewer electric vehicles on the road in the coming years, which means more demand for gas.
Why does it matter?
From 2025 through 2050, these changes are projected to take a tremendous toll on the economy, the environment, and public health. Repealing tail-pipe pollution standards will cost 110,000 jobs every year, cause $710 billion in cumulative losses to the U.S. GDP, and result in 17,000 premature deaths due to air pollution, according to the Energy Innovation report.
Additionally, over that time span, Americans would pay an extra $310 billion in fuel costs, coming out to $83 per family every year, the report found.
These findings run counter to the current administration's claims that its policies will actually result in lower fuel costs for Americans.
"To assume that we're going to see lower gas prices in the future … when you're increasing demand for that product, that just runs counter to what basic economics tells us," said Baldwin of Energy Innovation, according to The Verge.
What's being done about it?
To help push for a return to policies that favor cleaner, renewable sources of energy and more efficient electric vehicles, you can use your voice, contact your elected representatives, and vote for candidates that share your energy priorities.
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Further, regardless of the policies coming out of Washington, D.C., you can still help the environment while saving money on electricity and fuel costs by installing solar panels on your home and driving an EV.
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