ZETA Statement on Updated Senate Reconciliation Package

The Zero Emission Transportation Association’s Executive Director, Albert Gore, issued the following statement in response to the release of the Senate reconciliation package: 

“The legislation released today is a significant step backward from the progress made in the reconciliation process thus far toward providing some level of business and regulatory certainty for the companies that have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in new manufacturing capacity in the United States over the last several years. Members of Congress considering this bill should have no doubt that these dramatic changes will come at a cost to the communities across the battery belt, the southwest, and the industrial midwest that have received the majority of this investment and the 240,000 jobs that come with it. 

“China now represents 40% of global automotive production. This year, China will make and sell more EVs than the total of all vehicle sales in the United States. To vote for this bill as written is to effectively abandon the goal we all share of making the United States globally competitive in the  mineral, battery, and vehicle production markets of the future. The policies in current law that have been most effective in making progress towards this goal—most notably the stringently anti-China 30D credit, but also 45X, 30C, 45W, and the successful Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program—are either repealed outright or phased down so rapidly that China can see the goal line from here.

“These tax incentives have broad, bipartisan support, and we thank those Senators who have attempted to improve this bill. Most importantly, these credits have deep local community support in places that have suffered from disinvestment and offshoring of jobs for decades. Over the past year, we have seen momentum growing in the development of clean energy projects across the country that align with an all-of-the-above energy approach. The rapid elimination of these credits will not only create business uncertainty but will also disrupt the nation’s ability to attract future investment, innovate for the future in our energy and transportation sectors, reduce energy costs for Americans, and remain globally competitive for the next generation.

“Regardless of any prospective changes to law, ZETA and its member companies will continue to advocate for the undeniable benefits that a robust domestic EV and battery supply chain can generate for our nation. If America wants to maintain its global auto dominance, the Senate should hold firm against these dramatic changes and commit to pass legislation that supports investments in the U.S. economy and does not strip away new economic opportunities for hundreds of thousands of Americans.”

Zero Emission Transportation Association | https://www.zeta.org/