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Government Corruption

Granholm Energy Department gave California utilities $600M, now she'll sit on their boards

2025-02-24

[JustTheNews] During her tenure at the DOE, former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was accused of a number of widely reported potential ethics violations, including conflicts of interest and using her official position to promote companies in which she purportedly had a financial stake or relationship.

Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced on Thursday that she will be joining the boards of directors for Southern California Edison Company and its parent corporation Edison International, one of the largest utility companies in the U.S. This comes just six months after Granholm's Department of Energy awarded $600 million to a consortium of California utilities, including Southern California Edison.

During her tenure at the DOE, Granholm was accused of a number of ethics violations, including conflicts of interest and using her official position to promote companies that she had a financial stake or relationship with. Nonetheless, despite the widespread reporting of her controversial tenure, she was never charged or disciplined for any wrongdoing.

EARLY PRAISE, LATER INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
Following her nomination and through her confirmation hearings, the legacy media showered Granholm with favorable press, calling her a “champion” of “clean” energy policies and the climate agenda. Despite the early praise by climate-focused news publications, her tenure was marred by controversy and ethics questions.

In May 2021, four months after Granholm’s confirmation hearing, it was reported that she had held shares in Proterra, an electric bus company that the Biden-Harris administration had heavily promoted. According to the Associated Press, she told congress in 2023 that "she mistakenly provided false information about her family’s stock holdings" in testimony that year. Graholm had by then divested of those shares, earning a profit of $1.6 million, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

In April 2021, Granholm had told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she owned no individual stocks and only invested in mutual funds. In February 2023, U.S. ethics officials, The Wall Street Journal reported, warned top officials at the Energy Department, including Granholm, that they or their family members owned stocks that could violate conflict-of-interest rules.

In June of 2023, Granholm confirmed to the Committee on Energy & Natural Resources that she had owned stocks in six companies, which U.S. ethics officials had judged to be “non-conflicting.” Her husband had a previously undisclosed investment in Ford Motor Company. She said in a letter to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee that she had “mistakenly” testified she didn’t own any individual stocks. The committee took no further action.

Proterra went bankrupt in August 2023, and left transit districts across the country with broken buses that couldn’t be repaired.

In 2023 Granholm suffered embarrassment after a widely touted "EV Road Trip" turned into a PR disaster. Planning to fast-charge her caravan of EVs — including a luxury Cadillac Lyriq, a hefty Ford F-150 and an affordable Bolt electric utility vehicle — her advance team realized there weren’t going to be enough plugs to go around.

The embarrassment started when, according to reports, "one of the station’s four chargers was broken, and others were occupied. So an Energy Department staffer tried parking a nonelectric vehicle by one of those working chargers to reserve a spot for the approaching secretary of energy. A family with a baby, in need of the blocked spot, objected to the Energy Department’s misuse of energy infrastructure and public vehicles. The parents called 911. "

INVESTIGATIONS AND CALLS TO RESIGN
Shortly after the revelations, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who was ranking member of the committee at the time, called for the inspector general to investigate Granholm’s alleged conflicts of interest. In April, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called for her resignation over the matter. House Republicans on the Oversight Committee also investigated Graholm’s investments in Proterra.

More than a dozen public interest groups also called for Granholm’s resignation. In an August 2023 letter to Joe Biden, the groups cited her failure to report financial holdings, involvement in actions that benefited companies she was connected to, as well as other ethically questionable actions the groups argued would justify her removal from office.

Among the signatories was government watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT). The group used a Freedom of Information Act Request to obtain Graholm’s calendar. Among the previously unknown meetings discovered in the document were Graholm’s meetings between billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates. The DOE authorized up to $2 billion in a 50-50 cost-share program for Gates’ Terra Power Natrium reactor in Wyoming.

Link

Home Front: Politix

Biden Trump-proofs $74bn in climate funding but $20bn remains vulnerable

2025-01-16

[Guardian] Allocation of funds from Inflation Reduction Act makes it harder for president-elect to halt green initiatives.

The Biden administration has raced to allocate $74bn of funding for climate initiatives before Donald Trump’s inauguration, leaving $20bn vulnerable to potential rollback by the incoming president, new figures reveal.

As the inauguration of Trump looms, the outgoing administration has been accelerating its allocation of cash for climate change and clean energy programs before they are throttled by the incoming US president.

Laden with funds from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden administration is rushing to lock in support for renewable power, electric vehicles, batteries and other initiatives aimed at combating the climate crisis in a way that Trump cannot easily axe.

Trump has vowed to kill off what he calls the “green new scam and rescind all of the unspent funds” once he becomes president on 20 January. “That will be such an honor,” the president-elect said on the campaign trail, calling the climate bill “the greatest scam in the history of any country”.

While Trump will be able to stymie unallocated spending, funding already committed will be difficult to claw back. The Biden administration has therefore been racing to push out money to make it Trump-proof, having now allocated $74bn of IRA funding, according to figures provided by Atlas Public Policy.

But the outgoing administration still has about $20bn, or around a fifth, of the climate spending unallocated, which will be vulnerable to a Trump rollback once he re-enters the White House.

“The Biden administration has awarded the majority of IRA climate grant funding, but billions are still available for climate-smart agriculture, clean energy tax credits, and clean energy loans and much of it could be at risk in 2025,” said Annabelle Rosser, a research analyst at Atlas.

Encouraging companies to make and deploy clean energy components in the US has taken time, as have treasury rules on what qualifies for tax credits, but the Biden administration has sought to move quickly despite this, according to Kate Gordon, formerly a senior adviser to Jennifer Granholm, Biden’s energy secretary.

“There’s been an urgency from the beginning but that urgency is now definitely ramping up,” said Gordon, now chief executive of California Forward. “There’s a huge need to get the money out and contracted.”

Major recent investments include $1.5bn to the electric car manufacturer Rivian in November to expand its presence in Georgia, $460m to Samsung in December to build batteries and $754m to Novonix, also last month, to supply rare earth materials for batteries.

Of the money not yet handed over, there are billions of dollars targeted at climate-friendly farming practices, upgrades to energy efficiency in homes, conservation programs and support for coastal communities dealing with floods and other climate impacts.

The figures from Atlas do not include an array of other programs funded by the IRA, the 2022 bill that also handed money to government agencies and bolstered loans awarded to cutting-edge green technologies. The bulk of the bill’s support comes in the form of ongoing tax credits for projects aimed at cutting planet-heating emissions.

Much of this could now be gutted, with Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, calling the tax credits “wasteful” and vowing to take a “scalpel” to the legislation.

However, some elected Republicans are nervous about a political backlash to a complete repeal of the climate bill, despite having unanimously voted against it.

According to the Atlas investment tracker, more than three-quarters of the $160bn in privately led clean energy and manufacturing projects supported by the IRA are in Republican-held districts and are responsible for more than 166,000 newly announced jobs. Last summer, a group of Republican lawmakers wrote to Johnson urging him not to dismantle the legislation.

“This new administration is really doubling down on fossil fuels but ending these projects would put pressure on ratepayers and that would be a disaster politically. No one wants that,” said Gordon.

“Some parts of the IRA will be thrown under the bus but I don’t think there will be a massive slowdown of everything because that doesn’t make political sense.”

While the IRA is still set to help spur cuts in America’s planet-heating emissions, the start of the Trump administration comes at a time when the US, like many other countries, is badly lagging in its efforts to contain the climate crisis. Last year was the hottest ever recorded globally, researchers have confirmed, adding to a string of record warm years.

The pace of emissions cuts is not fast enough to temper this and meet international climate goals, scientists have warned, amid a growing stampede of storms, floods and other climate-driven disasters, such as the wildfires that have ravaged Los Angeles, taking an increasing toll on a superheated world.

Link

Home Front: Politix

DOE natural gas analysis draws disbelief from Republicans, industry

2024-12-26

[JustTheNews] House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., condemned the rushed Biden administration study as a "politically motivated" move meant to "hamstring" the energy goals of the incoming administration.

The future of U.S. liquified natural gas exports remains complicated as the incoming Trump administration will have to contend with a recent Department of Energy analysis now open for public comment.

The study offers a justification for the Biden administration’s indefinite pause on new LNG export sites back in January, claiming that increasing LNG exports would not only increase greenhouse gas and methane emissions but also inflict economic damage.

The results could hinder Trump’s plan to approve new LNG natural gas export terminals, part of his goal to reestablish American energy independence.

While the analysis admits that increasing LNG exports would generate revenue and create jobs across the natural gas supply chain, it simultaneously holds that the average American household would face 30% higher gas prices.

Without citing specific data, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said the projected price increase is due to "the increasing domestic price of the natural gas itself, increases in electricity prices (natural gas being a key input in many U.S. power markets), and the increased costs for consumers from the pass-through of higher costs to U.S. manufacturers."

The Texas Oil & Gas Association refutes this claim, citing federally-produced energy data. Other industry reports also refute Biden administration claims, The Center Square previously reported.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., condemned the rushed Biden administration study as a "politically motivated" move meant to "hamstring" the energy goals of the incoming administration.

"Let’s call this ’study’ what it is: A clear attempt to cement Joe The Big Guy Biden
Joe <q>The Big Guy</q> Biden

...46th president of the U.S. This Is A Man That Does Not Seem Demented...
’s rush-to-green agenda," she said in a statement. "By trying to shut down American LNG, DOE is threatening hardworking Americans’ jobs and economic development, weakening the energy security of our allies, and strengthening our adversaries."

The partial LNG export ban garnered bipartisan opposition from politicians and states from the beginning, with Louisiana and Texas, two main exporters of LNG, suing the DOE in response.

Although a federal judge sided with the states and ruled that the ban was illegal, the DOE argued that, under the Natural Gas Act, it still needed to conduct a study on whether LNG exports are in the "public interest" before it decided whether to lift the ban.

Counting on an incoming trifecta and a fracking entrepreneur as the future leader of the DOE, Republicans have pledged to reverse the ban as soon as possible.

American Gas Association CEO Karen Harbert said the AGA will "rectify the glaring issues with this study" during the public comment period.

"The Biden Administration’s pause on American LNG exports was a mistake that resulted in uncertainty for the market, for investors, and for America’s allies around the world," Harbert added. "This report is a clear and inexplicable attempt to justify their grave policy error."

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-Short Attention Span Theater-

Doomberg - 'Be Like Ike'

2024-06-09

[Doomberg] Serving as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower became intimately familiar with German infrastructure and logistics. He was impressed by the effectiveness of the Autobahn highway system in facilitating the rapid movement of civilians and military personnel alike. As the Allies captured more German territory, they leveraged that system to enhance their mobility, and the general’s experience there would forever alter the course of US economic development.

Eisenhower believed that members of the professional military class should refrain from direct participation in politics and initially resisted calls to consider running for US President. Eventually succumbing to persistent encouragement, he won both the 1952 and 1956 elections by landslide margins. Eisenhower’s many outstanding contributions to the country include the passage of the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act of 1956. The Act became the foundation upon which more than 48,000 miles of highways were constructed, forming economic arteries that facilitate modern commerce in what is still the world’s largest economy. Amazon, FedEx, Walmart, and the family road trip owe debts of gratitude to the 34th president.

The build-out of the Interstate Highway System was not without its controversies, including the substantial disruptions imparted upon urban centers across the country. The project also irreversibly cemented the automobile’s role in the cultural and economic development of the US.

While Eisenhower literally paved the way for broad automobile adoption and mobility, today’s shift towards electric vehicles (EVs) requires robustness in yet another public good: the electrical grid. Efforts to mandate this transition have unveiled the grid’s convoluted history and its grossly inadequate current state of operation. As outlined in Emmet Penney’s expansive essay, "The Rise and Fall of the American Electrical Grid," the US grid’s journey is deficient in the type of discipline a project spearheaded by a talented general would bring. Decades of policy flip-flopping, disastrous market reforms driven by the likes of Enron with the full backing of Wall Street, and the expansion of intermittent renewable sources of electricity like wind and solar have left this all-important national asset on the brink of crisis. Here’s Penney’s gloomy assessment:

"It is not clear how the grid can be fixed. The rules governing it grow more arcane by the day. Various universities, utilities, NGOs, major financial institutions, politicians, and industry interests have too much at stake to turn back now. FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission] wants to create more and bigger electricity markets. And those who deal in quick fixes, like delusional transmission buildouts, hypothetical black-box modeling, or various other wonkish tabletop role-playing games, ceased being honest brokers long ago. The political force that could meet the challenge of fixing the American grid would have to be both powerful enough and competent enough to achieve its aims."

Into this foray enters US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, who inspired little confidence early in her tenure when she appeared before Congress to push for electrifying much of the US military vehicle fleet. (One can imagine how the late general would have responded to that proposal!) To her credit, she has partially redeemed herself of late by spearheading a campaign to return nuclear power to a central role in providing baseload electricity. While doing so would not fix every problem ailing the US grid, it would go a long way toward stabilizing a situation that teeters on the brink. Last week, she raised eyebrows while celebrating the startup of Vogtle Unit 4 in Waynesboro, Georgia, the second of two nuclear reactors recently brought online at the facility and the first new units to be constructed in the US in over 30 years (emphasis added):

"Plants like this one, obviously, are economic magnets, because clean, 24/7 power is now irresistible to companies that are looking to build big manufacturing facilities, big data centers. Those facilities mean even more jobs and even greater opportunities...

Southern Company and Waynesboro, they have led the way here. But it is now time for others to follow their lead. To reach our goal of net zero by 2050, we have to at least triple our current nuclear capacity in this country. That means we’ve got to add 200 more gigawatts by 2050. Okay, two down, 198 to go!"

As much as pro-nuclear advocates welcome this about-face from the Biden administration—this publicaton included—tripling the national nuclear operating capacity over the next 25 years poses a gargantuan challenge for an industry that "quivers like a litter of beaten puppies under the routine flogging carried out by radical environmentalists." Well, the dog finally has the opportunity to catch the car. Now what?...

Link

Government Corruption

Energy Department finalizes efficiency standards for washers and dryers

2024-03-01

[Washington Examiner] The Department of Energy finalized efficiency standards on Thursday for new residential clothes washers and dryers coming to the market in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and cut down energy costs for consumers.

The DOE expects the finalized rule to save consumers $2.2 billion per year on utility bills, amounting to $39 billion over 30 years, according to a press release. The rules are also expected to reduce 71 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of emissions from 9 million homes.

"For decades, DOE’s appliance standards actions for clothes washers and dryers have provided loads of savings for American families while also de-creasing harmful carbon emissions," Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. "With strong support from industry leaders and consumer advocates, DOE will continue to roll out innovative appliance solutions throughout 2024 to lower costs for the American people—continuing the cycle of household savings that are the backbone of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda."

The clothes washer standards are expected to allow for between 9%-11% in energy savings and 17%-28% in water savings, while the standards for clothes dryers are expected to use 40% less energy. Compliance is expected to be required from March 1, 2028.

Link

Government Corruption

The Biden Administration's Electric Vehicle Subsidies Are Becoming Another Solyndra

2023-11-26

[Federalist] Proterra, an electric bus and battery company that President Joe Biden touted as a success of his green energy initiative, filed for bankruptcy in August. Last week, it finally sold its embattled battery business at a rock-bottom price as part of the bankruptcy proceeding. The rise and fall of Proterra demonstrates once again that politicians should refrain from betting taxpayers’ money on business ventures to advance their political agenda.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Proterra has sold only 550 electric transit buses since its founding in 2004. Most of the sales were underwritten by government agencies with federal grants. Proterra’s electric buses were plagued with mechanical defects and other performance issues, such as limited range and long charging times. Besides government subsidies, the company only survived as long as it had due to powerful political connections. Former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, Biden’s energy secretary, served on its board.

Despite all the quality issues of its EV buses, Proterra went public in January 2021 and raised $650 million, more than three times its annual revenue. A month after the company’s IPO, Biden tapped Granholm as his energy secretary. Proterra’s political connection to the Biden administration paid off in many ways.

Link

Government Corruption

GOP senators raise concerns over 'suddenly' reassigned director at the Department of Energy

2023-11-22

[FoxNews] Steven Black, the director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE-IN), was abruptly reassigned.

Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, leads GOP lawmakers asking why director was apparently reassigned after 11 years.

The letter, sent to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, states that on Oct. 17, Steven Black, the director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE-IN), was abruptly reassigned to a "senior adviser" role within the Energy Department without explanation.

"We are also aware that a study conducted by an outside contractor, which the Department has had in its possession since April, outlines disturbing findings as to the state of counterintelligence across the Department, to include the national laboratories," Risch wrote.

The letter – which was signed by Republican Sens. John Barrasso, Marco Rubio, Steve Daines, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Jerry Moran, John Cornyn and James Lankford – said if Black presided over the DOE-IN during a time when there were "serious shortcomings with regard to counterintelligence," then Black shouldn't be in any office with national security assignments.

Barrasso is a ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources committee and Rubio is the Committee on Intelligence's vice chairman.

Link

-Great Cultural Revolution

Biden invokes wartime powers to fund electric heaters as he cracks down on gas appliances

2023-11-18

[FoxNews] President Biden invoked a Cold War-era law in a surprising move Friday to pour taxpayer funds into domestic manufacturing of electric heat pumps, an alternative to gas-powered residential furnaces.

In a joint announcement with the White House, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the federal government would award a "historic" $169 million for nine projects across 15 sites nationwide in an effort to accelerate electric heat pump manufacturing. The significant level of funding was made possible after Biden utilized the 1950 Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase domestic production of green energy technologies.

"Getting more American-made electric heat pumps on the market will help families and businesses save money with efficient heating and cooling technology," said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. "These investments will create thousands of high-quality, good-paying manufacturing jobs and strengthen America’s energy supply chain, while creating healthier indoor spaces through home-grown clean energy technologies."

"Today’s Defense Production Act funds for heat pump manufacturing show that President Biden is treating climate change as the crisis it is," added John Podesta, the White House clean energy czar. "These awards will grow domestic manufacturing, create good-paying jobs, and boost American competitiveness in industries of the future."

Under the actions announced Friday, the DOE will send millions of dollars to companies like Copeland, Honeywell International, Mitsubishi Electric and York International Corporation, all of which are billion-dollar multinational corporations. The projects will advance manufacturing of industrial, commercial and residential heat pump technology.

The action Friday comes less than two months after the DOE issued new regulations targeting traditional home gas-powered furnaces as part of its climate agenda and broad effort to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

DOE's finalized regulations, which are slated to go into effect in 2028, specifically require furnaces to achieve an annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) of 95%, meaning manufacturers would only be allowed to sell furnaces that convert at least 95% of fuel into heat within six years. The current market standard AFUE for a residential furnace is 80%.

Because of the stringent AFUE requirements, the regulations would largely take non-condensing gas furnaces — which are generally less efficient, but cheaper — off the market. But consumers who replace their non-condensing furnace with a condensing furnace after the rule is implemented face hefty installation costs.

Biden previously invoked the DPA to accelerate domestic critical mineral production and to pause tariffs on Chinese solar panel imports, claiming that climate change is a national emergency.

In addition to consumer furnaces, over the last several months, the DOE has unveiled new standards for a wide variety of other appliances including gas stoves, clothes washers, refrigerators and air conditioners. According to the DOE, its past and planned appliance regulations will save Americans $570 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.4 billion metric tons over the next 30 years.

Link

Economy

Russia ‘making a fortune' – Trump

2023-09-30

[RT] Soaring energy prices have boosted Russia’s revenues, while the US is facing major economic threats due to its attempt to transition to clean energy, former President Donald Trump claimed on Wednesday.

Addressing supporters at Drake Enterprises, a non-union auto parts manufacturer near Detroit, Trump condemned the administration of President Joe Biden for its policies on electric vehicles (EV) and clean energy, branding them a danger to the US auto industry. The shift to EV will kill jobs at America’s biggest carmakers and eventually make them obsolete, Trump warned.

"For auto workers, Biden’s transition to electric is a transition to hell," the former president declared. "A transition to unemployment."

According to Trump, the US was "more energy-independent" than Russia and China during his tenure as president, while now "we are begging countries to give us gasoline."

"We are going to lose our country," Trump warned, arguing that Moscow has "made a fortune" and continues to benefit from high oil prices.

Link

Economy

General Motors lays off 2,000 workers at Kansas assembly plant after workers at facility in Detroit went on strike because 'there is no work' - as UAW president threatens that MORE people will walk off the job by Friday if demands are not met

2023-09-21

The minimum wage is zero.

[Daily Mail, where America gets its news]

General Motors announced 2,000 layoffs and closed their Kansas plant on Wednesday blaming the impact of a corresponding strike in Detroit

Job cuts were also announced by Stellantis, the maker of Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge, and by Ford last week

The United Auto Workers Union began a historic labor strike on Friday after there demands of a 40 percent pay rise and a four-day week were not met

Link

Home Front: Politix

Jennifer Granholm Throws Staff Under the Bus After Charging Station Fiasco

2023-09-17

[WFB, ht Insty] Decision to use gas-powered car to block public electric vehicle charger showed 'poor judgment,' energy sec says

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Thursday addressed her now-infamous electric vehicle charging fiasco, saying her "young" staffers showed "poor judgment" when they used a gas-powered car to hoard a spot for Granholm at a crowded public station.

Granholm during a congressional hearing confirmed the ordeal, which took place during the Biden administration official's June electric vehicle promotion tour. She did not, however, take responsibility for the incident, instead blaming "somebody" on her team for making a "mistake."

"I wasn't saving the spot. But let me just say—I have a fantastic young staff. Just fantastic," Granholm said. "I just want to say that somebody made a mistake. ... I didn't ... It was poor judgment on the part of the team."

Granholm's charging fiasco occurred during the energy secretary's June 27 drive from South Carolina to Athens, Ga., which included a stop at a public station outside Augusta to recharge Granholm's electric vehicle fleet. But before Granholm's arrival, the energy secretary's advance staff determined the station would not be able to accommodate the caravan, as one charger was broken and others were in use. A Granholm staffer subsequently used a gas-powered car to hoard the station's only available charger until Granholm's arrival, prompting one angry family to call the police.

"There's literally a non-electric car that is taking up the space, they said they're holding the space for somebody else, and it's holding up a whole bunch of people who need to charge their cars," a member of the family said during a 911 call, which was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon. "There's other people who are waiting to charge, and they're still here, and they're not an electric car, and the sign says that ... you can't park here unless you're charging. ... They said that their person is going to be here in two minutes that they're holding the spot for."

Granholm hoped her summer tour would promote green driving and showcase the billions of dollars President Joe Biden has spent on electric vehicles and other climate-focused initiatives. Instead, the trip displayed the electric vehicle issues that are plaguing the Biden administration's green energy transition.

Electric vehicle drivers often struggle to find public charging stations, and those who do locate a station often encounter broken and crowded chargers. EVs are also expensive—Granholm's caravan included a Ford F-150 Lightning and a Cadillac Lyriq, both of which can cost more than $60,000.

Biden is nonetheless moving forward with regulations that effectively mandate electric vehicle adoption. The Democrat's Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have both proposed rules that force automakers to ensure two-thirds of the vehicles they sell are electric by 2032.

Link

Home Front: Politix

From the left: EVs' Road-Trip Problem, Or the Incredible Importance of Being Granholm

2023-09-14

[NYPOST] Energy Secretary

Jennifer Granholm "knew charging might be a challenge" on her "four-day electric-vehicle road trip this summer," reports NPR’s Camila Domonoske, "but she probably didn’t expect anyone to call the cops." When a Granholm staffer used a regular car to block a fast-charging station in advance of her arrival in a Georgia town, "a family that was boxed out — on a sweltering day, with a baby in the vehicle — was so upset" that it did just that. In fact, the trip also exposed the general scarcity of chargers, especially fast ones, requiring "cumbersome planning" for any long trip. Another issue: Even "having a superfast charger doesn’t do you any good if the dang thing doesn’t work," a surprise that popped up multiple times on the trip.
Back in the thrilling days of yesteryear, when my father was just a tad and the motorcar was newfangled, you could choose among your means of propulsion. You could get a powerful steamer, but you had to wait for the pressure in the boiler to build up, which was inconvenient. It took extra planning to get to work on time and to make it home in time for dinner. Or you could buy an electric. You could plug it into your house and let it charge overnight, but you had a limited range before you had to stop and charge it, again overnight. Going to see Aunt Hattie in Kalamazoo would take a week or longer because of the charging requirements. Or you could take your gasoline-powered runabout, crank it up (often literally) and take your chances without delay on roads that were often just cross-country sets of ruts. There's a reason gas buggies won that contest.

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