‘Is This Regulation Going To Cut Costs For American Drivers?’: Ed Markey Asks Regan About EVs

4 months ago

During a Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hearing last week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) questioned EPA Administrator Michael Regan about clean power and EV chargers.

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Transcript

00:00 I'll recognize you for another round, okay?

00:02 Thank you.

00:03 All right.

00:04 Senator Markey, welcome.

00:05 Good to see you, bud.

00:06 Thank you.

00:07 Good to see you.

00:08 Good to see you, Mr. Administrator.

00:10 I like you.

00:14 And I love your agency, you know?

00:16 So I was elected—

00:19 The time of the gentleman has expired.

00:23 I was elected in 1976, six years after the agency was created.

00:28 So I've served in Congress for 90 percent of the life expectancy of the EPA, and I know

00:35 how much longer life expectancy is in the United States today than it was then because

00:41 of the EPA.

00:42 And that's a big benefit for our society.

00:46 Mr. Administrator, congratulations on making the historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

00:50 awards for the National Clean Financing Network.

00:55 When I introduced the National Climate Bank Act and when I worked with Chairman Carper

00:59 on this language in the Inflation Reduction Act, I knew this would be a transformational

01:04 program, if done right.

01:06 And you did it right, Mr. Administrator.

01:09 And I'm leading an appropriations letter to fight for your request on ongoing support

01:15 for oversight as well.

01:17 This climate bank money is out the door, and it's ready to bring clean power owned by

01:23 communities onto the grid, help working families cut their electricity bills, and leverage

01:28 new private dollars into projects that will do good for the public.

01:35 So is that a priority for your agency going forward, just to make sure that it's up and

01:40 running by the end of this year?

01:43 It absolutely is.

01:44 And thank you for your leadership and dedication.

01:46 Over 15 years focused on this topic.

01:48 We were glad to get it done, loved doing the visit with you in Boston to make the announcement.

01:53 I feel really good about this program.

01:55 We've consulted with all the experts outside, inside.

01:59 We know that this capital will pull billions of dollars of private sector capital off the

02:03 sidelines.

02:04 So, yes, it's a priority.

02:06 We want the oversight.

02:08 We're asking for the oversight because we know we have a solid program.

02:11 So we appreciate your support on that.

02:13 Thank you.

02:14 And as you know, it was in Waxman-Markey in 2009, but it took Chairman Carper to get it

02:20 over the finish line.

02:21 A little bit late, but still in time to be able to make a big difference.

02:26 Early this year, the Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Clean Cars Rule, which

02:31 will help us accelerate towards our climate targets and put the brakes on driver's dependence

02:37 on pricey fossil fuels.

02:40 And I thank my colleague, Senator Ricketts, for talking about the importance of investing

02:45 in chargers.

02:47 And I'd love to work with you on that, just to get them out there and make sure that people

02:52 have confidence, you know, with this range anxiety, which plays a big role in how people

02:58 view their ability to purchase a vehicle.

03:01 And the rule that has been promulgated is estimated to avoid more than 7 billion metric

03:07 tons of carbon pollution, equivalent to four times the annual emissions from the entire

03:13 transportation sector, making this the single most significant climate rule in U.S. and

03:20 world history.

03:22 So, Administrator Reagan, in addition to the climate benefits, is this regulation going

03:27 to cut costs for American drivers as well?

03:30 Thank you for the question, Senator.

03:32 And it absolutely has proven that it will cut costs over the duration of this regulation.

03:38 I think I want to just say that, you know, it's not just me.

03:42 These car companies are running $7 million Super Bowl ads to their constituents saying

03:48 the future is hybrid and electric.

03:51 What we've done is put together a regulation that coincides with where technology and the

03:55 market is going.

03:56 So it's not only good for the environment, but it's good for the economy and it will

04:00 be good for people's pockets.

04:01 Right.

04:02 And, again, it's projected to prevent 25,000 premature deaths.

04:08 That's right.

04:09 Big benefit.

04:10 Big benefit.

04:11 And also save $6,000 for a consumer over the lifetime of that vehicle.

04:16 Last year, EPA selected 17 thriving community technical assistance centers to provide technical

04:24 support and grant writing assistance to disadvantaged communities and grassroots organizations interested

04:31 in the Inflation Reduction Act's historic new funding opportunities.

04:37 And it's called TICTAC, which is easy to understand.

04:41 And while these centers were set up across the country, Region 1, which serves Massachusetts

04:47 and Rhode Island, still does not have an office in our region.

04:53 Administrator Regan, would you commit to working with us to ensure that a center that can partner

04:59 with Massachusetts environmental justice groups is stood up in Region 1 by the end of this

05:06 year?

05:07 I can do that.

05:08 I know we are taking a very close look at that and putting those wills into motion.

05:13 So, yes, we can commit to setting up that technical assistance resource for Region 1.

05:18 That would be very helpful to us.

05:21 Administrator Regan, is the recently announced Environmental Justice Clearinghouse another

05:25 tool that community organizations can use to understand, track, and win grants from

05:31 the Inflation Reduction Act?

05:33 Absolutely.

05:34 This is a multiagency tool that we put in place that speaks to not just the grant opportunities

05:41 within multiple grant opportunities within EPA, but the multiple grant opportunities

05:45 that span the entire administration.

05:48 And this is a sort of fingertip way of getting information on technical assistance and training

05:53 and funding opportunities, as well as screening and mapping tools to ensure that these grants

06:00 that are submitted are competitive.

06:01 Beautiful.

06:02 And, Mr. Administrator, when it comes to the power plant regulations, all I can say is

06:09 all these new arguments about carbon capture and hydrogen are a very different tune from

06:15 what we heard when working on the Inflation Reduction Act.

06:19 And I am glad we have seen your strong four new rules.

06:23 And I urge utility lobbyists to figure out what hymnal they are singing from.

06:29 If CCS and hydrogen are off the table, I will be happy to help my colleagues find a better

06:35 use for the power sector's billions in subsidies and support.

06:40 But I am glad that the administration and you are moving forward with those proposals.

06:45 Thank you.

06:46 Thank you, Senator.

06:47 I can assure you that my conversations with the industry assures me that CCS and hydrogen

06:52 are on the table, taking advantage of tax credits and resources from IRA, and that I

06:58 and we should ensure that there is a future for those specific technologies.

07:02 And they are interested and enthusiastic.

07:06 They are interested and enthusiastic.

07:07 And as I said earlier, the tension points that are happening are based on timing and

07:13 percentages, not whether we pursue it and how we do it.

07:16 Got it.

07:17 Thank you.

‘Is This Regulation Going To Cut Costs For American Drivers?’: Ed Markey Asks Regan About EVs

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