Aaron Sanderford
OMAHA — U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., amplified his criticism Tuesday of a proposed Biden administration regulation requiring automakers selling vehicles in the U.S. to cut new vehicles’ tailpipe emissions by two-thirds by 2032.
He and others backing the fossil fuels and biofuels industry, including corn-based ethanol and soybean-based biodiesel, have argued that the U.S. won’t be ready to shift to electric vehicles as aggressively as the green-energy advocates want.
icketts said people in rural and far-flung states like Nebraska won’t have the money to replace gas and diesel-fueled vehicles with electric vehicles despite the Environmental Protection Agency’s push to slow a changing climate.
Urgency of climate change
During a Tuesday session with the Nebraska Trucking Association, Ricketts stressed that Americans won’t have the charging infrastructure needed by the agricultural, transportation, and logistics sectors, which drive Nebraska’s economy.
He said the EPA’s push risks stifling innovation.
“The Biden administration has failed to do their homework on the reckless impact of these emission mandates … in just eight years,” Ricketts said.
Climate change experts argue that the world must act to slow the pace at which fossil fuel-related pollution from factories, vehicles and farms contributes to slight temperature shifts, fueling extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods.
The Inflation Reduction Act that Congress passed last year offers customers tax credits of up to $7,500 for buying an electric vehicle. Supporters said their goal was to boost affordability and public adoption of electric vehicles.
Incentivizing automakers
Ricketts and other supporters of the fossil fuel industry say traditional engine and emissions technology can adapt to environmental needs, offering examples including a new Mack truck exhaust system that traps particulates.
Those attending the event at Omaha’s Metropolitan Community College discussed an ethanol-powered engine from ClearFlame Engine Technologies. Nebraska and Iowa produce more ethanol than any other state.
Ricketts has proposed legislation with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., that would incentivize automakers to build more flex-fuel vehicles. He also is working with Senate Republicans on legislation that would let Congress review regulations.
CNBC reported that less than 6% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. in 2022 were all-electric, though that number had nearly doubled from the previous year. The proposed EPA emissions caps could shift vehicle production away from fossil fuels.