After announcing a ban on gas vehicles by 2035, Californians were urged to stop charging their electric cars because of a heat wave.
Heat Wave Causes State of Emergency
Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom, 56, declared a State of Emergency for Californians Wednesday to help increase power production as a heat wave took over the West.
State officials called for voluntary electric conservation from 4 pm to 9 pm due to higher temperatures pushing up energy demand and choking power supplies, and warned of possible outages if conditions worsen.
Among the conservation request, officials requested electric vehicle owners to avoid charging their cars during those hours. Reports have stated pushback from citizens saying that 4 pm – 9 pm is normally when they recharge their vehicle, after getting home from work.
California Mandates Electric Cars By 2035
The executive order signed by Gavin Newsom on September 23, 2020, declares his state will have zero emissions by 2035.
This means that starting on January 1, 2035, the state will ban sales of new vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, like gasoline, diesel, and hybrid electric vehicles. Citizens of California must purchase full electric vehicles from January 2035 on.
Currently, California isn’t ready to take on such an infrastructure to support so many EV’s, electric vehicles, and is not prepared for the 2035 executive order.
Currently, California EV drivers account for over 1 million cars on the road. If charging habits stay about the same when about 40% of vehicles are electric, California must add more energy capacity overnight to continue to meet the demand. Officials hope people will charge their cars more during the day.
Here’s What’s Next
Governor Newsom signed an executive order on Wednesday allowing the state to ramp up electricity supply. The Executive Order will grant California more flexibility across the spectrum for procuring power supply.
He also proposed extending the last operating nuclear power plant by five years to maintain reliable power supplies, keeping Pacific Gas & Electric’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power in business into 2025.
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No help from the Governor, he’s too busy sticking his nose into Florida’s business