Donald Trump’s plan to gut Inflation Reduction Act would be self-harm, US energy chief says. The IRA has spurred a “tsunami of investment” worth $500bn and is rebuilding the US manufacturing sector to compete with China. “Why would we want to give China the advantage again?”

6 comments

1. The answer is quite simple. Trump is extremely predictable and transparent. If he won, he would undo the act because someone else is responsible for it.

2. Electric vehicle (EV) production is more about market competition and technological advancement than climate change. The main reason most western governments are incentivizing EVs are for industrial policy and energy policy, both of which are national security issues. The Chinese government heavily favored EV development in its domestic manufacturers, because China does not have significant fossil fuel production. Additionally, they prioritized photovoltaic production, because China lacks other domestic fuels to generate electricity, but they have significant resources in the needed silicon precursors.

   China is the largest producer of EVs globally. They will be able to produce more efficient cars more cheaply and at greater volume than western ICE vehicle manufacturers can. If western governments don’t incentive their own domestic industries to produce equally efficient cars to compete successfully in global markets, many American and European automobile manufacturers will go bankrupt.

   Currently, only companies like Tesla can produce electric vehicles profitably in the west. However, BYD is aggressively competing against them in markets in Asia and Europe. If major European and American manufacturers go out of business, because of Chinese competition, it will be economically catastrophic for countries such as Germany, and states such as Michigan. European and American governments therefore are incentivizing production EVs, solar panels, and more efficient durable home goods.

3. To own the Libs obviously*

   (save for the fact that 6/7 IRA dollars are being spent in Red congressional districts. Incoming own goal for the feels)

4. He’s not going to cut it.

   His plan is to say he’s cutting it – remove it, send it back to the floor under a new name with minor changes, and say that he fixed it.

   Then he can run saying he did infrastructure. Bald faced lie and deception, of course.

   Remember when he “removed” NAFTA, put it back in place with minor changes, and then called it “fixed”? He’s a coward who wants to run on issues rather than fixing them.

5. Trump’s first administration only existed to erase the first black president. He failed at that due to John McCain. He’ll fail this time around because no congresspeople are going to throw away government investment.

6. Private industry is why. The billions spent inefficiently by Dem insider cronies do nothing to help the country long term