The Biden administration is betting heavily on electric vehicles as part of its efforts to slash the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. But for the United States to make that generational switch from gasoline, a lot has to go right.
Instead, the road to an EV-laden future continues to get more complicated.
The administration is already lagging behind on its goal of electrifying the federal fleet. The EV incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act — largely seen as a boon to the industry — could be slowed by battery sourcing requirements. And supply chain issues mean EV manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand.
The latest wrinkle in the nation’s transition: The Department of Labor plans to add lithium-ion batteries to a list of products whose components are known to be made using child or forced labor, write E&E News’ Jael Holzman and David Iaconangelo.
That could get in the way of greening the transportation sector, which accounts for more than a quarter of the nation’s carbon emissions.
While the Labor Department’s listing doesn’t come with any bans or enforcement measures, it could give fuel to EV opponents — while not addressing the underlying problem.
“There is a danger with this labeling that it demonizes the EV industry, the battery industry,” researcher Mark Dummet, who was on the Amnesty International team that initially called attention to the issue, told Jael and David. “Anyone worried about the state of the planet should be alarmed by that.”
The department made the designation because many lithium-ion batteries use cobalt in their production.
About 70 percent of the world’s cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a 2016 Amnesty International report found that tens of thousands of Congolese children were working in mines for up to 12 hours per day.
China is the world’s largest cobalt processor, while the U.S. is home to zero cobalt processing plants.
The report also cites China’s use of forced labor in the production of polysilicon, a key component of solar panels. The import of solar panels using polysilicon from the Xinjiang region is banned in the U.S.
While auto companies are moving toward cobalt-free batteries, EVs with cobalt-component batteries are expected to make up parts of the market, at least in the short term.
It’s Wednesday — Thank you for tuning in to POLITICO’s Power Switch. I’m your host today, Lamar Johnson. Arianna will be back soon! Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to [email protected]
Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Ben Lefebvre explains why carbon capture companies are looking to staff up with lobbyists in the wake of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The aftermath of Hurricane Fiona
President Joe Biden visited Puerto Rico on Monday to show his commitment to the island’s recovery after Hurricane Fiona and draw a contrast to his predecessor’s handling of Hurricane Maria in 2017.
It might not be enough to convince the territory’s residents that he’s in for the long haul, writes POLITICO’s Gloria Gonzalez.
While on the island, Biden held a conversation with leaders on the ground about restoring electricity and making the island more resilient, but some left frustrated at Puerto Rico’s shaky recovery and relationship with Washington.
Tug of war
Disagreement among congressional Democrats and Republicans about who should hold more power in the permitting process could spell doom for potential reforms, Nick Sobczyk and Jeremy Dillon write.
Democrats favor giving more power to the federal government, while Republicans are fighting to put more power in the hands of states.
Uh-O(h)PEC
OPEC announced a plan to cut oil production Wednesday. The move drew a swift rebuttal from the Biden administration as the midterms approach, Josh Siegel writes.
Biden called the move “unnecessary” before heading to Florida, while White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused OPEC of “aligning with Russia.”
Speaking of gas prices
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she is working on a measure to cap gas prices as energy costs soar in the bloc, Victor Jack wrote.
Von der Leyen said the measure would be a temporary one and she is currently working on a “road map” to present to the other EU leaders.
Potential oil export ban: Anticipating the move by OPEC, the White House considered a gas export ban.
Natural gas expansion: Cheniere Energy broke ground on an $8 billion expansion of its Corpus Christi, Texas, liquefied natural gas complex.
Mine research redo: A Montana judge ruled that regulators must redo their research that led to the approval of an expansion of the state’s Rosebud Mine.
A showcase of some of our best subscriber content.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) energy plan calls for legislators to rein in or cut many of his state’s climate policies. However, it also includes a few proposals for boosting renewables that could draw bipartisan support.
Scientists are recommending a global one-stop shop for greenhouse gas information. There is currently no one standard for calculating carbon emissions.
A new study found that pipelines in the Permian Basin leak 14 times more methane than EPA’s estimate. Researchers say the leaked methane is enough to power more than 2 million homes a year.
