Wyoming’s legislature is considering a resolution to allow for the voluntary “phase-out” of electric vehicle sales by 2035. This symbolic move is meant to support Wyoming’s oil-and-gas industry and respond to New York and California, which have announced that they will ban the sale new gasoline-powered cars starting in 2035.
A group of Republican Senators, led by Jim Anderson, introduced the SJ0004 resolution. It states that “phasing out new electric vehicles sales in Wyoming by 2035” will ensure stability for Wyoming’s oil-and-gas industry and preserve vital minerals for national purposes.
“The Legislature would be saying: ‘If you don’t like our petrol cars, well we don’t like your electrical cars,” Senator Anderson said to Cowboy State Daily in response to the proposed resolution.
The resolution asks Wyoming residents to reduce their use and purchase of EVs. However, it would only be symbolic if adopted by the legislature.
Brian Boner, another Wyoming Senator, was the co-sponsor. He told Cowboy State Daily that he is interested in ensuring that the solutions to the “climate crisis” are practical in real-life.
“I don’t like it when other countries try to force technology that’s not ready.”
Sponsors of the resolution argue that Wyoming’s grid infrastructure, charging stations and other infrastructure cannot handle an increase in EV usage without massive investments. The resolution’s sponsors also claim that the crucial metals used in EV batteries cannot be easily recovered and recycled.
According to the EIA, Wyoming was eighth in crude oil production in the United States in 2021. It produced slightly more than 2 percent of the country’s crude oil output. It was also the ninth largest natural gas producer in the United States, accounting for around 3% of U.S.-marketed gas production in 2021.