Biden’s EV Plan Needs Transmission Lines That Haven’t Been Built
Transmission lines outside a battery energy storage project in Blythe, California.
Photographer: Bing Guan/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Joe Biden unveiled an ambitious plan to boost US sales of electric vehicles in the bid to fight climate change. But the infrastructure needed to charge all those cars doesn’t yet exist and would require a massive buildout of the nation’s transmission lines.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced emission standards Wednesday that would compel automakers to ensure two out of every three cars and light trucks sold in 2032 run on electricity. That gives utilities nine years to develop transmission infrastructure across the US, a blistering pace for projects that can take decades to permit and build.