Putin may be all-powerful in the political sphere in Russia, but even he can’t control the sun and the wind. Neither can MBS. As a result, there is no necessary conflict between American efforts to fight climate change and reach energy independence.
The Ukraine war has given this old issue new urgency. While the private sector has made progress on its own, it could use some help in funding innovation and the infrastructure for electric cars. Unfortunately, due to the GOP and its cult of self-reliance, none is likely to be coming at the federal level.
California can’t do anything about the use of fossil fuels in power plants in Texas, but it has a large say in the kind of cars we buy and drive. If the state uses its regulatory power to push the car companies to move faster, and some of its budgetary surplus to fund a system of charging stations, that will serve as a powerful example to the rest of the country, and will change the economics of electric car ownership. Let’s hope they do it.
Happy Independence Day!