DES MOINES, Iowa – President Joe Biden called for electric vehicles to make up half of all U.S. car sales by 2030. Gov. Kim Reynolds called that goal “short-sighted” and harmful to Iowa’s economy.
Biden signed an executive order that does not make the sales goals mandatory but orders the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation to initiate the rulemaking process for new fuel and vehicle emissions standards under the Clean Air Act and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. The order uses California’s standards as a foundation for what the federal government does.
“America must lead the world on clean and efficient cars and trucks. That means bolstering our domestic market by setting a goal that 50 percent of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, or fuel cell electric vehicles. My Administration will prioritize setting clear standards, expanding key infrastructure, spurring critical innovation, and investing in the American autoworker. This will allow us to boost jobs — with good pay and benefits — across the United States along the full supply chain for the automotive sector, from parts and equipment manufacturing to final assembly,” Biden stated in his order.
Reynolds said that the president’s actions undermine the renewable fuels industry.
“President Biden’s short-sighted stance on electric vehicles is undermining Iowa’s renewable fuel industry while simultaneously jeopardizing America’s energy independence. This announcement follows the Biden Administration’s failure to support renewable fuels in the infrastructure package currently being negotiated in Congress. It’s a harmful pattern that must be reversed,” she said in a released statement.
“With the policies we see coming out of Washington, it’s never been more important that Iowa fights for renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel while looking for new ways to invest in the high-quality products we produce right here, right now in our state,” Reynolds added.
