U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, questioned witnesses at a full committee hearing about increased costs caused by Low-Carbon Fuel Standard programs currently in place in certain states, the emissions impacts of electric vehicles (EVs), and the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub.

HIGHLIGHTS:

ON LOW-CARBON FUEL STANDARD IN CALIFORNIA, OREGON DRIVING UP PRICES:

RANKING MEMBER CAPITO: “I talked in my opening statement about the prices of diesel and how they've been at a record high in June of 2022. Can you talk about the impacts of when these prices are way up like they are and have been for a sustained period of time? What impact that has on your industry and how it impacts the small businesses, many of them small businesses, some quite large, across the country?”

CHRIS SPEAR, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS:  “It's significant, senator.”

RANKING MEMBER CAPITO: “Would you say then that these regulations, as I said in my opening statement, are leading to higher prices in those particular states?”

CHRIS SPEAR, PRESIDENT AND CEO, AMERICAN TRUCKING ASSOCIATIONS: “Yeah, we were dealing nationally with 40-year highs on inflation. These two states compounded that problem, which is why you see fuel costs exceeding $7.00 in California, nearly $6.50 in Oregon. That's much, much higher than national averages you said.”

ON CONTINUED PUSH FOR HYDROGEN HUB IN APPALACHIA: “I think that Appalachian Hydrogen Hub sounds really good today. And thank you for what you're doing to lend your expertise, and I know we're in competition with a lot of good ones, as you mentioned, but I appreciate you mentioning that.”

ON LIFE CYCLE EMISSIONS IMPACT OF ELECTRIC, HYDROGEN VEHICLE PRODUCTION:

RANKING MEMBER CAPITO: “In order to get to an EV, in order to get to a hydrogen car, there's a lot that goes before you actually are at the tailpipe, I guess is how they say it, measuring before the tailpipe, so a lifecycle. Have you done an analysis of that, of what it takes to create the hydrogens and that goes into these vehicles and…the emissions...How would you answer that question on lifecycle both emissions and costs?”

GEOFF COOPER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RENEWABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION: “Yeah, we fully support a well to wheels full lifecycle approach when analyzing the carbon intensity of all fuel pathways. And, and we agree that in particular, when you talk about electric vehicles, we often hear them referred to as zero emissions vehicles. Well, that's ignoring all of the upstream emissions associated with electricity production.”

Click HERE to watch Ranking Member Capito’s questions.

Click HERE to watch Ranking Member Capito’s opening statement. 

Original source can be found here