As a climate-fueled heat wave stresses California’s electric grid, right-wing media are disingenuously attacking electric vehicles – By Ted MacDonald (Media Matters) / Sept 2, 2022
A potentially record-breaking heat wave is set to blanket much of California and the Western U.S. throughout the Labor Day weekend. In preparation for this event, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency, and grid operators in the state are urging residents to conserve power during peak hours. This also means advising residents to avoid charging electric vehicles during peak hours.
Right-wing media are using this potentially deadly heat event to mock both electric vehicles and California’s new rule that would ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. These attacks are littered with falsehoods about both EVs and what the gas car ban intends to do. At the same time, these attempts just distract from the fact that this event could result in California logging one of the hottest temperatures ever recorded on Earth.
The main focus of reporting on this event should be climate change, which is making heat waves such as this one more frequent and more severe, with one climate scientist stating recently that “I think we can very confidently say that every heatwave occurring today has been made more intense and more likely because of climate change.” Climate-fueled extreme heat events are also straining California’s power grid. The New York Times notes that the grid situation “could be worsened if a heat wave causes residents to turn to air-conditioners for comfort en masse, driving up energy demand.”
