There are hundreds of stretches and long lonesome miles of road in Wyoming, and not a charging station to be found.
That’s one reason the Wyoming legislature is looking at a resolution that has been introduced to phase out new electric vehicle sales by 2035 — they’re bad for the state’s economy, which is part cowboy, part oil and gas, part tourism.
“The proliferation of electric vehicles at the expense of gas-powered vehicles will have deleterious impacts on Wyoming’s communities and will be detrimental to Wyoming’s economy and the ability for the country to efficiently engage in commerce,” according to the bill. It notes that the batteries used in electric vehicles contain critical minerals, and the domestic supply of those rare earth minerals is limited and at risk for disruption. China has become the dominant supplier for the minerals needed to build electric car batteries.
What’s more, those critical minerals and spent batteries need to go somewhere when they reach the end of their useful life, and that’s a landfill nightmare. “The critical minerals used in electric batteries are not easily recyclable or disposable, meaning that municipal landfills in Wyoming and elsewhere will be required to develop practices to dispose of these minerals in a safe and responsible manner,” according to the legislation, which refers to electric cars as a “misadventure.”
Adding new power charging stations would require “massive” amounts of new power, according to the lawmakers.
While 15 other states have moved to reduce or ban gas-powered cars, the Senate resolution instructs Wyoming’s secretary of state to send a copy of SJ0004 to Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, who has been at the forefront of banning gas-powered cars since becoming governor in 2019.
The bill says that before the ban would go into effect, Wyoming residents would be encouraged to not purchase electric vehicles.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Minerals, Business & Economic Development Committee.
