EXCLUSIVE: GOP Rep Asks Elon Musk For Help Running Power Grid As Americans Buy More Electric Cars

  • GOP Texas Rep. According to an email to Tesla CEO, Troy Nehls asks Elon Musk for his help in stabilizing Texas’s energy grid. This was according to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
  • Nehls asked Musk for a meeting with him to discuss “potential inefficiencies” of Texas’ power grid. This is because Americans are buying more electric cars (EVs) than ever before.

  • ” “As we work to find solutions to meet our nation’s increasing electric demand, I believe that with your assistance we can foster an effective partnership between private sector and government to ensure long-term stability in our electric grid,” Nehls stated in his letter. “I would appreciate hearing from you on what Tesla Inc. is already doing, and plans to do in the future, to help stabilize the U.S. energy grid as electricity consumption is expected to increase as yours and other EVs become more popular.”

Republican Texas Rep. According to a letter sent to Elon Musk by Troy Nehls obtained from The Daily Caller News Foundation, Nehls asked for his help to stabilize the country’s energy grids.

Nehls wrote to Musk Tuesday asking the billionaire for a sit down meeting to discuss private sector and government collaboration to address “the potential inefficiencies” of the Texas power grid as Americans buy more electric vehicles (EVs). Musk is the Texas-based CEO of Tesla. “As we work to find solutions for our nation’s increasing electric demand, I believe that with your assistance we can foster an effective relationship between government and private businesses to ensure long-term stability in our electric grid.” Nehls sent his letter. “I would appreciate hearing from you on what Tesla Inc. is already doing, and plans to do in the future, to help stabilize the U.S. energy grid as electricity consumption is expected to increase as yours and other EVs become more popular.”

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Tesla vehicles accounted for nearly 80% of all new EVs registered in the U.S. for 2020 and Musk has a “unique perspective” on how to address power grid issues, given his long-expertise in the EV space, said Nehls. As electrical demand rises across the country, power grids are having trouble keeping up.

The average EV necessitates roughly 30 kilowatt-hours to travel 100 miles, the equivalent to daily use in the average American household of air conditioning, heating, lights, computers and other appliances, according to Pew Research Center. Increased electrification in every sector of the U.S. economy may result in as high as a 38% consumption hike by 2050, the U.S. Department of Energy found in a 2018 study.

Texas lost up to $130 billion after Winter Storm Uri hit in February 2021, according to state data. According to Nehls, this economic loss was caused by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas’ (ERCOT), the entity that manages Texas’ energy grid.

ERCOT’s failure left 69% of Texans with no power and close to half with water service disruptions and at least 210 deaths, according to state data. Amid the ongoing Texas heatwave, ERCOT reached more than 76,600 megawatts last week, breaking a prior record, as consumers increase their air conditioning usage.

(Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Musk criticized Biden and his handling of the economy in May, saying on a podcast that “it’s hard to tell” what the president “is doing to be totally frank.” In June, Biden praised Musk’s competitors, Ford and Stellantis, and indicated he thinks Musk’s accusation that the economy is “super bad” is unwarranted.

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President Joe Biden has “declared an outright war on fossil fuels,” Nehls told TheDCNF and “continually boxes” Musk “out of any meaningful discussions” about EVs. Nehls said that the president shouldn’t “ostracize” the CEO but should work with him to “provide his unique perspective and innovative approach” in addressing America’s anticipated increase in electricity consumption.

Biden signed an executive order in August 2021 setting a goal for half of all new light trucks and passenger cars sold in 2030 to be “zero-emission” vehicles. Last November, Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which spends almost $7.5 million in tax dollars for a “national network” of 500,000 EV chargers along highways despite EVs accounting for fewer than 1% of light-duty trucks, cars and SUVs in the U.S., according to Reuters. Reuters reports that

Tesla and Musk did not reply to requests for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: GOP Rep Asks Elo… by Gabe Kaminsky

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