For Iowa, electric vehicles and infrastructure have the power to reduce pollution and fuel the economy by increasing EV innovation.
| Guest columnist
Gina McCarthy and Secretary Granholm set out in an electric car
McCarthy and Secretary of State Granholm set out to discuss the bipartisan infrastructure’s historic investments in electric vehicles and how we will ensure the future is made in America.
Provided by the White House
Iowa has a tremendous opportunity to modernize our transportation by switching to zero-emission vehicles and investing in clean transportation infrastructure. We have already started investing in electric vehicles or EVs. The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority’s e-transit bus pilot program is a prime example of how we can use these technologies to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Our state is a leader in generating electricity from wind power and has invested heavily in this technology. Cleaner energy sources such as wind, sun and electricity are the future. Electric vehicles are a natural next step in protecting health, saving consumers money, and driving economic growth and job creation in the decades to come. According to an analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists, the stringent federal standards for clean cars are expected to bring over 7,000 new jobs to our state by 2030. We can go further now and we cannot miss this.
The transport sector offers unlimited opportunities to create family-friendly jobs and economic growth. Expanding the electric vehicle market could create 1 million well-paying manufacturing jobs nationwide that support families in the auto industry, a researcher at climate think tank Energy Innovation wrote for Forbes. Investing in infrastructure for electric vehicles, including building charging stations, developing American-made batteries, and upgrading the power grid, will create community-sustaining jobs in the construction sector.
Transportation is the largest source of CO2 pollution in the US today Investing in clean vehicles is one of the most effective ways to combat climate change. As climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and severe, as experienced in our state between 2010 and 2020, the cost of inaction will only increase. More than 70,000 Iowa people are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat, and by 2050 the typical number of Iowa heatwave days will increase from about five to nearly 40 days a year. We need to correct course before it’s too late.
Another view: Iowa shouldn’t be the last resort to electric vehicles
Another view: Iowa auto laws put consumers first and are still EV friendly
We need bold government and private sector investments in clean vehicles because every Iowan deserves clean air. Auto, bus and truck pollution pollutes our air, threatens our health and can lead to an increase in respiratory diseases such as asthma, which affect 194,000 adults and 42,000 children in our state. Electric vehicles will fight air pollution and protect our health and our families’ budgets. Every household with electric vehicles is predicted to save at least $ 3,000 on the gas pump each year. Especially during a public health and economic crisis, we need our leaders to protect our health, fight climate change, and take action to help consumers save money.
Low-wealth communities and colored communities bear the brunt of air pollution and the climate crisis. They often live in vulnerable homes and neighborhoods near highways and congested highways. They are exposed to higher concentrations of pollutants due to industry in the vicinity of their place of residence. By investing in cleaner cars, we can reduce harmful pollution and ensure that all of our Iowa communities have cleaner air.
As a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, it is my responsibility to promote a policy to protect the health of my constituents and all Iowa residents. It is vital that we develop good guidelines and that our authority to implement those guidelines be protected by our leaders in Washington.
President Joe Biden’s restoration of state authority under the Clean Air Act is vital for states that are pushing more ambitious clean vehicle initiatives and going beyond the federal government to curb dirty vehicle pollution. For Iowa, electric vehicles and infrastructure have the power to reduce pollution and boost the economy by increasing state-level electric vehicle innovation while working with national efforts to electrify the transportation sector.
US MP Cindy Axne was a true climate leader for all of Iowan, and we are fortunate to have her in Congress. Now it is important that you and our entire Congress delegation support bold investments in the electric vehicle market to improve public health and create economic opportunities for all powerers.
State Rep. Marti Anderson represents northwest Des Moines in the Iowa House of Representatives. She is serving her fifth two-year term and is a member of the Environmental Protection Committee.
