China’s good points and losses from vitality insurance policies throughout Joe Biden’s presidency have been a contested matter throughout an April 26 listening to of the Home Power & Commerce Committee’s Setting, Manufacturing, and Crucial Supplies Subcommittee.
“Till we enhance U.S. capability for vital mineral extraction and refining, growing our reliance on renewable vitality and EVs [electric vehicles] will solely profit China,” mentioned Subcommittee Chair Invoice Johnson (R-Ohio) in his opening assertion.
He additionally drew consideration to China’s use of pressured Uyghur labor.
“We have to take a long-term view of our vital mineral wants and discover methods to satisfy these wants ethically and sustainably,” mentioned Subcommittee Rating Member Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) in his personal opening assertion.
“It actually doesn’t sound like Republicans even wish to do something about China’s lead in these vital industries,” he added, referring like different Democrats to spending in final 12 months’s Schumer–Manchin invoice, dubbed the “Inflation Discount Act.”
Trevor Higgins, an vitality and environmental skilled with the Middle for American Progress, informed Tonko that the IRA and different Democrat-led legal guidelines from the final Congress are driving wanted provide chains for superior batteries again to america.
“Customers internationally are interested by EVs, and automakers wish to construct them, and IRA’s ensuring that each stage within the provide chain [will] have a house in america,” he mentioned.
He concurred with Tonko that current car emissions requirements from the Environmental Safety Company (EPA) usually are not EV mandates as a result of they’re know-how impartial.
But Daniel Simmons, vice chairman for coverage with the Institute for Power Analysis, mentioned that the requirements are “de facto mandates with regards to mandating huge quantities of EVs, as a result of that’s the one approach you’ll be able to meet EPA’s upcoming GHG [greenhouse gas] laws for autos.”
Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) informed Simmons she worries the Biden administration’s “rush to inexperienced” will “strengthen China and weaken America’s vitality safety.”
“The lithium, the cobalt, the nickel—the whole lot that goes into the battery packs—these are all depending on Chinese language provide chains, and that won’t change for years, regardless of what number of {dollars} are within the IRA,” Simmons informed Rodgers.
Power and Commerce Rating Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) seized the chance to argue that Republicans’ debt restrict invoice, which acquired a vote April 26, would “play proper into China’s arms.”
The Republican-led invoice eliminates clear vitality tax credit established in final 12 months’s IRA and takes different steps Pallone characterised as dangerous to america.
“These investments assist hold us aggressive on the worldwide stage, since China and different international locations are already constructing the clear vitality future,” Pallone mentioned.
Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) adopted Pallone with just a few sharp remarks on the character of U.S.-China technological competitors.
“China’s goal is to not save the planet from local weather change. China’s goal is to rule the planet as the only real superpower, and anybody who doesn’t perceive that I believe contributes to the nationwide safety threat that we’re going through with China,” he mentioned.
“Is clear vitality clear?” Palmer requested Mark Mills of the Manhattan Institute.
“By the definition of what we used to suppose [broadly] in environmental domains, the reply isn’t any. It’s no cleaner than, at finest, some other type of vitality,” Mills answered.
Mills identified that uncommon earth refining remains to be overwhelmingly dominated by China.
