The state of Wyoming has introduced legislation that would ban the sale of any new electric vehicle by 2035. The purpose of the bill is to protect the oil and gas industry in the state which is a major driving force of the economy.
This move counters the legislation of other states around the country, such as New York, California, and Oregon, who are moving to phase out the sale of gas-powered vehicles in a similar time frame.
State officials in Wyoming have argued that the oil and gas industry is a crucial element to their economy, creating many jobs and providing significant revenue.
The bill explained:
Oil and gas production has long been one of Wyoming’s proud and valued industries; and the oil and gas industry in Wyoming has created countless jobs and has contributed revenues to the state of Wyoming throughout the state’s history; since its invention, the gas-powered vehicle has enabled the state’s industries and businesses to engage in commerce and transport goods and resources more efficiently throughout the country.
Furthermore, the state of Wyoming does not have the necessary infrastructure to support the widespread adoption of electric vehicles alongside the simultaneous disposal of gas-powered cars. The legislation goes on to state:
Wyoming’s vast stretches of highway, coupled with a lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, make the widespread use of electric vehicles impracticable for the state. the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations in Wyoming and throughout the country necessary to support more electric vehicles will require massive amounts of new power generation in order to sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles.
The bill then continues to underscore the economic and commercial benefits that the oil and gas industry provides Wyoming. The legislation says:
The United States has consistently invested in the oil and gas industry to sustain gas-powered vehicles, and that investment has resulted in the continued employment of thousands of people in the oil and gas industry in Wyoming and throughout the country; and fossil fuels, including oil and petroleum products, will continue to be vital for transporting goods and people across Wyoming and the United States for years to come; and the proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will have deleterious impacts on Wyoming’s communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming’s economy and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce; phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035 will ensure the stability of Wyoming’s oil and gas industry and will help preserve the country’s critical minerals for vital purposes.
According to the 67th State of Wyoming legislature the bill further states:
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Section 1. That the legislature encourages and expresses as a goal that the sale of new electric vehicles in the state of Wyoming be phased out by 2035.
Section 2. That the legislature encourages Wyoming’s industries and citizens to limit the sale and purchase of new electric vehicles in Wyoming with a goal of phasing out the sale of new electric vehicles in Wyoming by 2035.
Section 3. That the Secretary of State of Wyoming transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, each member of Wyoming’s congressional delegation, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the governor of Wyoming and the governor of California.