Musk + Biden = Tesla chargers for all

Presented by ConocoPhillips: Your guide to the political forces shaping the energy transformation

Feb 15, 2023 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by Elon Musk and President Joe Biden. | Win McNamee/Getty Images (Musk); Alex Wong/Getty Images (Biden) Bromance may be a bridge too far, but President Joe Biden and Tesla honcho Elon Musk have been working on their relationship. And electric vehicle drivers stand to reap the benefits. The Biden administration announced today that Tesla will open up its deluxe charging network to other automakers’ electric models, in a move that could instantly boost the nation’s electric vehicle infrastructure, writes POLITICO’s E&E News reporter David Ferris and POLITICO’s James Bikales. Tesla’s Superchargers are prolific, powerful and more reliable than other offerings. The EV giant will also triple the size of its existing network, the White House said. That level of cooperation is a departure from the last few years, which were filled with Twitter attacks (on Musk’s part) and the silent treatment (on Biden’s end). In 2021, when Biden announced his goal that half of all new vehicle sales would be electric by decade’s end, the nation’s largest electric vehicle maker was conspicuously absent. Largely at issue was a proposed provision (that ultimately failed) in Biden’s $369 billion climate law that would have rewarded automakers whose workforce was unionized. Musk, who is famously anti-union, called the proposal discriminatory and said “it might be better” if Biden’s landmark climate law failed altogether. “I’m literally saying get rid of all subsidies,” Musk said. But the billionaire Tesla founder has historically welcomed government subsidies. Before Tesla went public in 2010, it received a $465 million loan from the Energy Department, for example. And one of Musk’s other companies, SpaceX, has received millions of dollars in federal and state subsidies over the years — plus billions of dollars in government contracts. With today's announcement, it looks like Musk is ready to reacquaint Tesla with the government’s pocketbook. Opening its network to the general public puts Tesla in an excellent position to win billions of dollars in government infrastructure funding. Still, the road ahead is not exactly paved. Part of the reason Tesla’s Superchargers are so reliable is that the same company makes the cars and the ports. It’s an open question how well Tesla can accommodate other automakers’ models. Plus, a big part of Tesla’s brand is exclusivity. Some Tesla owners may bristle at sharing with the new kids on the block.   It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host, Arianna Skibell. Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to askibell@eenews.net.   A message from ConocoPhillips: ConocoPhillips joined communities on the North Slope and across Alaska to ensure the development of the Willow project is environmentally and socially responsible. Willow will create opportunities for Alaska Native communities and employment for skilled union labor. Learn more about the multi-year public consultation process and read what Alaskans are saying about Willow here.   Listen to today’s POLITICO Energy podcast Today in POLITICO Energy’s podcast: Zack Colman breaks down the administration's new $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and how it targets a Biden campaign promise. electric future Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia is criticizing Ford's new plan to build and wholly own a $3.5 billion plant in Michigan that uses Chinese technology in making electric vehicle batteries, writes Hannah Northey. He joins Republican lawmakers in questioning China’s potential influence in U.S. supply chains. Ford unveiled plans to build and maintain full control of a new battery plant with no foreign investment at an event in Romulus, Mich., on Monday. Ford has said a China-based company will be a “contractual service provider and licensor of technology to Ford” that “will receive no U.S. tax dollars through this deal.”   A message from ConocoPhillips:   Power Centers A boat navigates at night next to large icebergs in eastern Greenland in 2019. | AP Photo/Felipe Dana Doomsday glacier The vast Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are at risk of unstoppable, irreversible melting over the next few centuries, even if global warming is halted and the Earth’s temperatures are stabilized, writes Chelsea Harvey. That means the world’s oceans will likely continue to rise at faster and faster rates as water from melting ice pours into the sea, according to a new study. Nuclear deal? Looking for a bipartisan compromise on permitting this year? Nuclear energy could be worth betting on, writes Nico Portuondo. Members of both parties are finding rare common ground on nuclear energy between traditional Republican nuclear boosters and climate-minded Democrats who are increasingly convinced that the zero-carbon energy is pivotal for the transition to a clean energy future. More sanctions The European Union plans to sanction several Iranian companies for supplying armed drones to Russia, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday, writes Leonie Kijewski. Seven Iranian companies now face a complete ban on selling sensitive items to Russia, and more companies from other countries might be added to the list later, von der Leyen said. in other news EVs: Ford has halted production and shipments of F-150 Lightning over possible battery issues. Mining: A nonprofit has linked a series of flood-related drowning deaths in eastern Kentucky to poor strip-mine reclamation.   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.     Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. Trucks receive shipping containers at the Long Beach Container Terminal in California. | AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes California may require all new medium- and heavy-duty trucks to have zero emissions in 2036, four years earlier than the current mandate. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased 5.5 percent in 2021 compared to 2020, when the country posted a record drop due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For carbon capture to be deployed at much greater scale, multiple policy changes are needed to break down investment barriers for the technology. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today.       A message from ConocoPhillips: The Willow project combines state-of-the-art technology with a strong commitment to environmental stewardship. The benefits: Willow will produce much needed domestic energy and provide billions in revenue to local, state and federal governments. We are proud to produce the energy America needs. Learn more about the Willow project and the benefits it offers.     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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