TOPEKA – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after Governor Kelly signed House Bill 2783, which preserves Kansans’ right to buy the vehicle of their choosing.
“We applaud Governor Kelly for protecting consumer choice in the automotive marketplace by signing House Bill 2783 into law, ensuring Kansans can buy the vehicle that best meets their mobility needs,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura said.
“The bipartisan support this bill received demonstrates how state leaders understand the needs of their communities better than the U.S. EPA which is focused on technologically unfeasible and economically impractical vehicle mandates.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Louisiana’s industrial sector is part of the backbone of the American economy. Everything from steel, glass, chemical, fertilizer, power, cement, and iron producers to the transportation sector with aircraft, maritime shipping, and truck freight. Louisiana helps power homes and businesses and provides needed feedstocks and components for thousands of everyday products. We also produce and transport the food and goods we use every day. The infrastructure and the industry have been long established and are something our locals take pride in. However, these industrial processes require very high heat and specific fuel to operate and meet safety requirements, which means they need traditional fuels.
As of 2019, Louisiana has the seventh highest CO2 emissions in the nation, with roughly 60 percent of emissions coming from the industrial sector and 14 percent from power generation, according to the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative. Whether it’s Brookings or the U.S. Department of Energy—under both Democratic and Republican Administrations – cutting emissions from these sectors will require carbon capture and storage (CCS) and possibly even some utilization—the U in CCUS—if we’re going to make progress on our state’s emissions goals and help maintain the industries and jobs Louisianans rely on.
How Does Capturing Carbon Help Louisiana Increase Jobs, Investments, and Other Economic Benefits?
Economic studies have shown that developing a carbon capture and storage industry in Louisiana could add 2,700-4,000 permanent jobs annually over the next 15 years, with some paying between $80,000 -$90,000 per year. There could also be an additional 1,700 to 2,500 jobs a year to retrofit and operate existing CCS infrastructure. A good example is a project in Calcasieu Parish that could create 970 jobs alone.
These industrial jobs also provide an influx of property tax revenue to local governments and enable new community partnerships—whether it be support for early childhood centers, workforce development for high school students, or funding for county roads and bridges.
CCUS has also garnered support from large and small independent manufacturers and energy producers because it represents a real opportunity for new high-paying jobs in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Reducing the carbon footprint of these facilities is vital to ensuring they can operate and keep providing jobs for many more years—no matter who is in charge at the White House.
Capturing Emissions at the Source
In the United States, 60% of the electricity generated in 2023 came from traditional fuels like coal, natural gas, petroleum, and others. In Louisiana, that number increases to 76% as natural gas is the state’s leading fuel source for electric generation. The Energy Information Administration also notes that natural gas fuels 6 of Louisiana’s 10 largest power plants. The state also has the nation’s highest residential sector per capita electricity consumption, with roughly 7 in 10 state households relying on electricity for home heating, and almost all households have air conditioning. These figures alone highlight how Louisiana could lead a new carbon economy.
Source: Great Plains Institute
Based on where you live in Louisiana, you might be closer to areas that have large, stationary industrial facilities. Currently, roughly 61 facilities have been identified as candidates for carbon capture retrofit, according to the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative. These facilities are likely some of the hard-to-decarbonize industrial processes listed above. They also likely employ people in your Parish, if not your community, who generate income that leads to a healthy economy and provides social well-being and a sense of community. While some national activists team up with community members to express their desire to shut a facility down, they often forget that closing down a plant or facility is hard. This is because moving or closing an existing industrial facility can be challenging and expensive, and often, there isn’t a big enough business to replace it—leading to hardships for the people and community it is in. It’s also inadvertently costly to consumers, the local economy, and the larger supply chain.
Adding CCS or CCUS technology to these facilities helps maintain high-paying industrial and manufacturing sector jobs, the needed products they produce—not to mention the affordability of those products—and revenue the facilities generate for the community and the state, all while making the air around these facilities cleaner to breathe. This is a win-win for the community and the people.
How Does CO2 Get Captured and Where Does it Go?
Outside of nature, like forests, coastal wetlands, and restorative agricultural processes, CO2 gets captured in many different ways, including pre-, post-, or oxy-fuel combustion, absorption, or direct air capture (DAC). While DAC is still in its early stages, the most common type of capture is through chemical combustion, converting or separating molecules. Once converted or separated, these molecules are captured as a gas and pressurized into a liquid, where a pipeline transports it to a suitable geological storage site chosen for its specific geological properties. These sites are either depleted oil and gas fields, deep geologic formations, or utilized in the EOR process.
Once a site is selected, the CO2 is injected deep into the Earth’s surface, far below fresh water sources, into a specified rock formation. How much CO2 can be deposited depends on how much “pore space” there is to trap it. Pore space is the empty spaces between sand and rock, similar to the spaces in a sponge when it collects water. Unlike water, CO2 is buoyant; however, there is a layer of earth called caprock above these porous areas, and they are watertight, trapping the CO2 and preventing it from rising. From there, companies install monitoring equipment to keep track of the safety of the well.
How Deep are these Storage Sites?
The depth of these geologic storage sites varies depending on the local geology. At a minimum, the site has to be over half a mile below the surface, with some sites almost 2 miles deep. Geologists look closely at the formations to determine where the water table is to determine how far down a well will need to be drilled.
Once trapped, over hundreds or thousands of years, the CO2 undergoes a chemical reaction with the rock its been injected into – changing from a gas to rock. Though it is a long process, there are rock-solid results!
What are the Best Areas for Carbon Storage?
This can be answered in two ways. First, as we discussed before, the best places for carbon storage are either depleted oil and gas fields, deep geologic formations utilized in the EOR process, or in coal seams—though that is rare.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
Second, if you’re thinking about where those places are regionally, the U.S. Geological Service addresses storage potential or technically accessible storage based on the amount of CO2 a region can store underground. That said, they identify the Coastal Plains from Texas to Georgia as capable of holding 65% of our country’s “storage potential.” This is why there has been so much conversation about CCS in Louisiana and why the state has worked hard to secure its own primacy. At some point, Louisiana could be the epicenter and leading expert in carbon storage.
As the United States and the world look for ways to decarbonize, there is one thing for sure: there is no silver bullet. There are many ways for people, businesses, and governments to look at ways to decarbonize. For people, it could be through their buying power and dictating to the market what is essential to them by, say, not buying a product that is heavily carbon-intensive to produce. For businesses, maybe it is through new technology, and for government, it might be through new regulations.
Regardless, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. One thing is for sure. No matter what people, businesses, or governments do, there are still energy-intensive, hard-to-decarbonize sectors that everyone relies on to maintain our cities and their infrastructure and transport people and products worldwide. These sectors are the backbone of the American economy: steel, glass, chemical, fertilizer, power, cement, and iron producers, along with transportation like aircraft, maritime shipping, and truck freight. They help us build and power our homes and cities, produce and transport the food and products we use every day, and employ and transport millions of people across the U.S. Yet, these processes require very high heat and specific fuel to operate and meet product safety requirements, which means they need traditional fuels.
They also represent 20% of the CO2 emissions in the U.S. and almost 40% worldwide as the need for industrial products grows with the increasing population and socioeconomic changes. Whether it’s Brookings, the U.S. Department of Energy, or the Environmental Defense Fund, each agrees that cutting emissions from these sectors will require carbon capture and storage (CCS) and possibly even some utilization—the U in CCUS—if we’re going to make progress on our emissions goals. Not because it is THE solution, but because it is A solution. And we’ll need many.
What’s the difference between CCS and CCUS?
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), or carbon sequestration, involves capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial processes and transporting it through a pipeline to an appropriate geological formation for safe, permanent storage underground. Think of it as a waste management business.
Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) is a process and technology that helps reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the atmosphere while continuing to meet present and future energy demands. It involves the following steps:
Capturing CO2 from industrial sources such as coal and gas power plants or cement and steel plants, to name a few.
Transporting the compressed CO2 to a dedicated geological storage site to use later as a gas or fluid in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) or to make other products.
Using the CO2 in EOR or injecting compressed CO2 into a deep subsurface rock formation where it will remain permanently for geological sequestration.
However, CCS and CCUS aren’t new; in fact, the first large-scale CO2 injection project, which took place in the Sharon Ridge oilfield in Texas in 1972, ran both CCS and CCUS operations.
Capturing Emissions at the Source
Based on where you live in the country, you might be closer to areas that have large, stationary industrial facilities. These facilities are likely some of the hard-to-decarbonize industrial processes listed above. They also likely employ people in your state, if not your community, generate income that leads to a healthy economy, and provide social well-being and a sense of community. Despite these positive attributes, CO2 emissions can lead to detrimental health effects. While some national activists team up with community members to express their desire to shut a facility down, they often forget that closing down a plant or facility is hard. This is because moving or closing an existing industrial facility can be challenging and expensive, and often, there isn’t a big enough business to replace it—leading to hardships for the people and community it is in. It’s also inadvertently costly to consumers, the local economy, and the larger supply chain.
However, adding CCS or CCUS technology to these facilities helps maintain those jobs, the needed products they produce, and revenue while reducing harmful emissions. This is a win-win for the community and the people.
Source: World Economic Forum
How Does CO2 Get Captured and Where Does it Go?
Source: Louisiana DEQ
Outside of nature, like forests, coastal wetlands, and restorative agricultural processes, CO2 gets captured in many different ways, including pre-, post-, or oxy-fuel combustion, absorption, or direct air capture (DAC). While DAC is still in its early stages, the most common type of capture is through chemical combustion, converting or separating molecules. Once converted or separated, these molecules are captured as a gas and pressurized into a liquid, where a pipeline transports it to a suitable geological storage site chosen for its specific geological properties. These sites are either depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline geologic formations (or salt domes), utilized in the EOR process, or in coal seams—though that is rare.
Once a site is selected, the CO2 is injected deep into the Earth’s surface, well below fresh water sources into the rock formation. How much CO2 can be deposited depends on how much “pore space” there is to trap it. Pore space is the empty spaces between sand and rock, similar to the spaces in a sponge when it collects water. Unlike water, CO2 is buoyant. However, there is a layer of earth called caprock that lies above these porous areas, and they are water-tight, trapping the CO2 and preventing it from rising. From there, companies install monitoring equipment to keep track of the safety of the well.
How Deep are these Storage Sites?
Source: Modified from TNO, Geological Survey of the Netherlands, and the Global CCS Institute.
The depth of these geologic storage sites varies depending on the local geology. At a minimum, the site has to be over half a mile below the surface, with some sites almost 2 miles deep. Geologists look closely at the formations to determine where the water table is to determine how far down a well will need to be drilled.
Once trapped, over hundreds or thousands of years, the CO2 undergoes a chemical reaction—or mineralization—with the rock in that formation and forms a carbonate. Carbonates can form from minerals like calcium or magnesium to become calcite (an element of limestone), magnesite (made through the alteration of limestone or marble), or dolomite (used instead of limestone). All to say, though it is a long process, there are rock-solid results!
What are the Best Areas for Carbon Storage?
This can be answered in two ways. First, as we discussed before, the best places for carbon storage are either depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline geologic formations (or salt domes), utilized in the EOR process, or in coal seams—though that is rare.
Second, if you’re thinking of regionally where those places are, the U.S. Geological Service says “the best” area for carbon storage is really subjective. However, they do address storage potential or technically accessible storage based on the amount of CO2 a region can store underground. That said, they identify the Coastal Plains from Texas to Georgia as capable of holding 65% of our country’s “storage potential.”
Geologists prefer this area as much of the storage can occur in the salt domes, which are far below the surface. The pressure in these formations helps keep the CO2 in place at a solid state, where it has less of a chance to leak.
Alaska and the Rocky Mountains/Northern Great Plains have the next most significant storage potential. These regions tend to be where some of the most productive oil and gas fields are located.
Source: USGS National Assessment of Geologic Carbon Dioxide Storage Resources – Results
Rule imposes technically unworkable requirements on America’s trucking fleet
Millions of small businesses – especially independent truckers – face financial risk, if not ruin
WASHINGTON – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Environmental Protection Agency released its final rule for emissions from heavy duty vehicles including trucks and buses.
“This rule is the latest Biden Administration attempt to impose unworkable climate promises that will deliver next to no environmental improvement while imposing permanent price inflation on Americans,” said Consumer Energy Alliance Vice President Kaitlin Hammons. “The EPA continues to drive regulations that are unaffordable for small businesses, unattainable with current technology, and unachievable without a wholesale transformation of our electric distribution system.”
“Comparable electric trucks cost two-three times more than the current fleet that carries 73% of the nation’s freight. That means the cost of almost three-quarters of the goods Americans buy will go up – for good. That is before the additional nearly $1 trillion in required infrastructure investment.”
“Forcing adoption of more expensive vehicles that are not yet demanded by the market nor ready for prime time should be a lesson already learned, given the widespread failure of electric bus fleets and abrupt slowdown in passenger EV sales, despite billions of taxpayer dollars being spent,” Hammons said. “Americans should demand a return on their investment – not accept yet another costly policy that reduces the balance of our economic and social freedoms.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
TOPEKA – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Kansas Senate passed House Bill 2783, which preserves Kansans’ right to buy the vehicle of their choosing.
“With today’s vote, Kansas continues to show there is strong, bipartisan support for consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura said. “We applaud these legislators for standing up for consumer choice, especially considering yesterday’s draconian mandates pushed out by the U.S. EPA designed to eliminate gas-powered cars.”
CEA has long been an advocate for consumer choice. It is our hope that this action sends a strong message to Washington – the U.S. EPA should not be coercing consumers to choose vehicles that are unaffordable to buy and unworkable for their mobility needs.”
“We encourage Governor Kelly to sign this bipartisan legislation as soon as it reaches her desk.”
CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:
Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
Where will the critical minerals necessary for EV’s come from other than China?
About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
AUGUSTA – Following the Maine Board of Environmental Protection’s 4-2 vote rejecting the adoption of the California Advanced Clean Cars II mandate which would ban traditional gas-powered cars and limit consumer choice, Consumer Energy Alliance released the following statement:
“We applaud the Maine Board of Environmental Protection for listening to the families and businesses that spoke out against this unaffordable, unworkable mandate that would limit consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Mid-Atlantic Executive Director Michael Butler said. “Electric vehicles have an important and growing role in our vehicle mix going forward, but mandates that serve only to increase prices and harm drivers are not the answer.”
“Across the state, Democrats and Republicans came together to acknowledge the financial burden adopting this mandate would place on families and the harm it would have on Maine’s fragile electric grid. Unlike the rules unveiled yesterday in Washington, D.C. by the U.S. EPA, Maine got it right – putting politics aside, ensuring hardworking families will not be left behind to appease special interests.”
CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:
Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
Where will the critical minerals necessary for EV’s come from other than China?
About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
• New EPA tailpipe emission standards will force electric vehicles onto consumers • Families, businesses will suffer from higher prices and inadequate EV infrastructure
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, released the following statement after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its passenger vehicle standards for model years 2027-2032.
“It is disappointing that the Biden Administration continues to be actively working against its stated goal of, ‘equipping the American middle class to succeed,’” CEA President David Holt said. “While electric vehicles clearly have a role in our vehicle mix, the middle class cannot succeed with the EPA forcing an unworkable, expensive EV quota on working class families. State mandates have not led to widespread public adoption of EVs – sales are actually on the decline. The lack of electric grid and charging infrastructures, long recharge times, high EV costs and governmental failure to ensure U.S. critical mineral supplies are all challenges that won’t be solved anytime soon. These policies harm our middle class and place America’s energy security in the hands of totalitarian regimes that control the vast majority of critical minerals mining, processing, and refining, while leaving working families holding the bill.”
CEA’s 2023 Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace report details how electric vehicle mandates will force consumers into paying more in overall transportation costs and create potentially catastrophic pressure on the electric grid. It also examines key constraints that must be addressed by policymakers before widespread EV adoption can successfully occur, including infrastructure build-out, the ability of electric generation to meet increased demand and critical mineral scarcity.
About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
Federal Policies, Actions that Limit Energy Access Have Contributed to Stubborn Inflation
WASHINGTON – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement regarding President Biden’s 2024 State of the Union Address.
“High energy prices are the stealth cost that causes all other prices to go up, and no amount of deflection, blaming corporate greed, or wish-driven forecasting can change that. The cost of energy is factored into everything, including the goods and services we buy and especially food production. Energy is a kitchen table issue,” CEA President David Holt said. “When the federal government implements policies that knowingly increase energy prices, while spending the equivalent of Japan’s gross domestic product in a single year, literally no one is surprised that we have had the highest, most persistent inflation in several generations.”
“We all agree on the need to tackle climate challenges, so we can stop fighting about that. It is now time to focus on ways to make energy more affordable and reliable for all Americans, especially those who can least afford to pay more for gasoline or electricity,” Holt said. “We urge the Biden Administration to start making energy policy choices that improve the environment and allow access to all energy options. This should not be a partisan issue; all Americans agree on the need for affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy. Our national policies should reflect that.”
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About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
ST. PAUL – Today, the Senate Transportation Committee will hear the Clean Transportation Standard Initiative (S.F. 2584). While CEA generally supports low carbon and clean transportation measures, S.F 2584, as currently drafted, would disproportionately impact Minnesota families, especially those in lower-income brackets and rural communities, and it would offer very little meaningful improvement for the climate or environment.
“Minnesota families are already struggling to make ends meet, and the current draft of the Clean Transportation Standard would place another significant strain on their financial security,” said Chris Ventura, Midwest Executive Director of Consumer Energy Alliance. “We are supposed to pass laws that make life better for Minnesota families. However, the Clean Transportation Standard does just the opposite.”
“The Clean Transportation Standard is a recipe for following states such as California and Washington into the ranks of the country’s highest fuel prices, significantly burdening families and small businesses, while failing to make meaningful environmental progress. Policies like S.F. 2584, which has been proposed today, have contributed to California having the highest fuel prices in the United States at $4.76 per gallon, according to a recent study by Stillwater Associates. This artificial increase in fuel costs not only puts a strain on the budgets of all drivers but hits lower-income families hardest, worsening economic disparities. In Washington state, similar policies have resulted in record-high fuel prices of $3.81 per gallon.
“California and Washington policies that have created the highest gas prices in the country should serve as a warning to Minnesota legislators supporting the Clean Transportation Standard – and their voters,” Ventura said.
“Low-income households spend a larger share of their income on gasoline – this legislation will burden those who can least afford it. Rural Minnesotans often travel longer distances for work, school, and basic services, so this legislation will further widen the economic divide between urban and rural areas. Minnesota businesses will face higher operating costs – this legislation will force them to pass those expenses onto consumers, leading to a general increase in the cost of everyday necessities like groceries, clothing and travel, further burdening Minnesota families.”
“Without doubt, the Clean Transportation Standard will lead to a higher cost of living, creating economic hardship for lower-income families, and widening the urban-rural divide. It is crucial to weigh these factors carefully and consider alternative approaches that achieve our shared environmental goals without burdening Minnesotans with hidden tax hikes. As the state working group identified, without doing anything, Minnesota is already on track to reduce transportation emissions 30% by 2050.”
Minnesota families are already speaking out.
“As a hockey dad, I have spent the better part of the past 20 years traveling around Minnesota for games and tournaments,” said Saint Paul resident Kevin Dolan. “Over the past few years, our economy has been on a rollercoaster, and Minnesota families have been paying the price – literally. Raising kids is already expensive enough, so to hear that there is an effort to enact a new law that will make us pay more than a thousand dollars more at the pump is incredibly frustrating. Minnesota families deserve better.”
About Consumer Energy Alliance
Consumer Energy Alliance is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, the environment, energy’s critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs. By advocating for energy justice and sensible energy solutions, we hope to ensure that people who need affordable energy the most can have access to it.
TOPEKA – Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), the leading energy and environmental advocate for families and businesses, issued the following statement after the Kansas House of Representatives passed House Bill 2783, which preserves Kansans’ right to buy the vehicle of their choosing.
“We applaud the Kansas House of Representatives for their strong, bipartisan support of consumer choice in the automotive marketplace,” CEA Midwest Executive Director Chris Ventura said.
“CEA has long been a strong advocate for allowing families and businesses to have a full array of choices in their use of energy. Choices allow for more affordable energy that helps ensure the lights stay on when we need them the most. It is our hope that this latest action sends a strong message to the U.S. EPA. Consumers should be able to choose vehicles that meet their mobility needs – regardless of fuel type.”
“With America’s auto manufacturers restructuring their investments based on lackluster demand for EVs, it is necessary for the federal government to not limit vehicle choice. Instead of mandating winners and losers, Washington should be supporting the continued research and development of advanced liquid fuels, batteries and hydrogen fuel cells so consumers will be able to choose the vehicles that meet their cost expectations and mobility needs. We look forward to this important legislation advancing in the Kansas Senate.”
CEA supports consumers’ right to have the vehicle they want and can afford. CEA’s recent “Freedom to Fuel: Consumer Choice in the Automotive Marketplace” report examines how some states are forcing through vehicle mandates without fully considering several important questions that will influence consumer acceptance, such as:
Does the electric power grid have enough power to meet increased demand from EV sales mandates?
How can average Americans afford EVs that cost nearly $15,000 more than traditional vehicles?
Where will replacement parts for EVs come from other than China?
About Consumer Energy Alliance Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) is the leading voice for sensible energy and environmental policies for consumers, bringing together families, farmers, small businesses, distributors, producers, and manufacturers to support America’s environmentally sustainable energy future. With more than 550,000 members nationwide, we are committed to leading the nation’s dialogue around energy, its critical role in the economy, and how it supports the vital supply chains for the families and businesses that depend on them. CEA works daily to encourage communities across the nation to seek sensible, realistic, and environmentally responsible solutions to meet our nation’s energy needs.
