Why is it that critical thinking skills and basic logic so often go on holiday when it comes to so many things “green”?
To wit, a recent local newspaper editorial argues that it should be up to our state government — tapping federal “infrastructure” dollars, of course — to build out a network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
“This network should be considered a public good, just like service plazas with gas stations on the interstate highways and the federal highway system itself,” states a recent Post-Gazette editorial. “Charging stations are essential infrastructure.”
Continues the editorial:
“This shouldn’t be considered an act of federal favoritism toward electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered ones. Rather, it’s a boost to allow the two types of cars to compete on par by closing one of the main gaps between them: ease of filling up.”
Hold the phone here.
First, it was the oil companies that brought gasoline service stations into being, driven from the rising demand for gasoline-powered vehicles and, with it, the private profit potential. It was not a government enterprise. It still is not.
Second, when it comes to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Sunoco pays the state a premium for the privilege of operating service stations in rest plazas on the turnpike. And along non-tolled highways, gasoline service stations are a totally private enterprise.
Third, this notion of what we’ll call “juicing the juicing” – publicly subsidizing electric vehicle charging stations — to allow them to “compete on par” is a non sequitur that would make George Orwell proud.
Fourth, electric vehicles already are heavily taxpayer subsidized. So, what’s the deal here? They require more and more (and more) public subsidies to “compete on par”? That’s not “par” at all?
The simple fact of the matter is that EVs can’t be manufactured, sold or charged on anything resembling a cost-effective, economical basis without public subsidies. Throwing evermore public dollars at them won’t change that.
In fact, this multiple suckling at the taxpayer teat only makes it more likely that EVs never will be competitive. Yet Ecocrats LIC (for “limited intelligence corporation”) continue to shove this down taxpayers’ throats under the guise of it being best for the public weal.
The bottom line is that if there’s such a “non-juiced” demand now for EV charging stations – or if there’s solid market research showing future “non-juiced” demand – electric utility companies would be falling all over themselves to open totally private charging stations in pursuit of profit – just as the oil companies did more than a century ago.
Gee, considering “The State’s” continuing attack on this nation’s power-generating industry – if it’s not wind or sun, it’s “bad” — is it any wonder why that’s not happening?
Concludes the P-G editorial:
“Electric vehicles may not replace gas-powered ones for a long time. But as EV technology improves moment by moment, the state must stay ahead by building out an EV infrastructure that’s ready for the future.”
Build the taxpayer-subsidized “them” and they will charge, eh?
Sorry, but no. “The State” has no business further propping up something that thus far, and likely into the future, will remain a losing proposition without continued, and heavy, extraction of public dollars by social re-engineering sucker fish.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
