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A climate report from university and think tank researchers with ties to the Department of Energy that advocates for the U.S. to dramatically reduce vehicle ownership — gas-powered and electric cars alike — and move to dense cities to combat climate change is raising alarm bells for a top congressional Republican.
Sen. John Barrasso is pressing Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm about a January study advocating for smaller EV batteries and fewer vehicles on the roads altogether by relocating to urban areas with public transportation to reduce dependency on lithium mining that is harmful to the environment.
“The notion that the federal government should tell people where to live or how to get around is on its face ridiculous,” Mr. Barrasso, Wyoming Republican, wrote in a letter to Ms. Granholm on Wednesday that was first reported by The Washington Times. “People live in Wyoming because they want to get away from federal overreach, not to have Washington bureaucrats dictate their lifestyles.”
The climate report, from University of California Davis and the progressive think tank Climate and Community Project, did not officially involve DOE or have the federal government’s endorsement. But at issue for Mr. Barrasso, the ranking member of the Senate Energy Committee, is the department’s ties to the researchers and institutions involved.
DOE is an official research partner of UC Davis’ Energy and Efficiency Institute. Three of the eight reports’ authors are UC Davis staff members.
Mr. Barrasso also noted that Shalanda Baker, who was not an author of the report, is the Senate-confirmed DOE director of the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity and a member of the Climate and Community Project. The think tank’s website lists Ms. Baker as on a leave of absence.
DOE did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Mr. Barrasso’s concerns.
“This prompts several questions about DOE’s involvement in such areas of study,” Mr. Barrasso wrote to Ms. Granholm. “DOE should be promoting American industries and American energy, not stifling growth and constraining the choices of individual consumers.”
The report concludes that switching to EVs, declining car usage and ownership, and reducing the size and weight of EVs to boost efficiency “are necessary steps that must be pursued” to remain within 2050 goals of limiting global warming.
Researchers go on to say that the “current dominant strategy for the sector” of simply replacing gas-powered cars with EVs without scaling back ownership won’t go far enough.
“To combat the climate crisis,” the study says, “electrification of private vehicles must be paired with the creation of a transportation system that allows and encourages people to meet their everyday needs without requiring access to a car.”
Mr. Barrasso requested that Ms. Granholm address a list of questions by March 17, including what Ms. Baker’s role is as a Climate and Community Project member and if she had any involvement in the report. Mr. Barrasso questioned whether the Biden administration supports increasing urban populations by reducing rural ones and reducing the amount of vehicle ownership.
Democrats’ tax-and-climate-spending law passed last year, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, seeks to boost domestic production of critical minerals crucial for EVs, including lithium.
