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Solar generates more energy than coal in US for 1st time (abcnews.com)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[+] -6 points 4 months ago (8 children)

Electrical energy. You're still not getting off fossil fuels for a long time, the only way is either we all live in car-less 300sq.ft condos with no windows and central laundry, or population reduces drastically.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago

    Coal is mostly used to produce electricity and steel. So more electricity from solar then coal is actually good news.

    However oil and gas are much harder to replace, but again we actually have a lot of the technology, it is "just" about rolling it out on scale, which is hard.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago (6 children)

    I've only driven an electric car for the last 4 years with an 65 mile daily commute. I save ~$1000 a year on electricity vs gas. My affordable electric accelerates way faster than my previous turbocharged Audi A4.

    But the best part is, I never have to go to a gas station.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (5 children)

    A serious question. Are you paying a road tax to drive on the roads with your EV yet? In the US, some states are now starting to look into how to charge EV owners a road use tax. ICE cars pay that tax at the pump and the more you drive, the more tax you pay. EV owners that charge at home, (and who wouldn't do that), currently pay no road taxes because they buy no or very little "fuel".

    I'm interested to know what the states think is a fair tax amount. Particularly since EV owners tend to be wealthier than most people. And what EV owners think of paying such a tax.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    My state charges an EV tax at vehicle registration renewal that is substantially more than the tax that would be paid on gasoline. I'd have to drive around 5 times what I do before it starts getting close. There were talks of adding some other kind of tax too, beyond this, which would be double dipping. I'm the kind of person that would happily pay taxes although I find the execution of this poor since it is largely rooted in entrenched interests. Namely selling ethanol.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    The thing about fuel taxes is you pay based on how much you drive. More drive, more fuel, more taxes. And I'm sure you don't drive all that many miles every year. But, what about someone that drives their EV 2x what you do. Which causes 2x the road wear and tear that you do. Is a flat tax fair to you?

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (2 children)

    EV owners that charge at home, (and who wouldn’t do that), currently pay no road taxes because they buy no or very little “fuel”.

    They pay no road tax for fuel but they do pay road taxes elsewhere. Roads are not funded solely on fuel taxes.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    Obviously fuel taxes do not cover the whole cost of road maintenance, and they haven't for decades. Where are those EVs paying road use taxes beyond registration and license fees? The more you drive an ICE car, the more fuel tax you will pay. And that's fair. Shouldn't EVs pay for the mileage they drive on the roads too? Is it OK that an EV that doesn't drive many miles a year should pay the same flat tax/fee that another EV that gets driven 3x as many miles?

    I'm all for EV use, I'd own one if I could afford one for sure. But the prices are a bar to ownership. In any case, states ARE looking into chiseling into the lost revenue that EVs are currently ducking. They want the revenue stream.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

    There are local taxes on energy/electricity commerce in some number of jurisdictions, if that matters. New York, as an example: https://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/publications/st/pub718r.htm

    I'd have to look into whether or how the mentioned—waived—4% state tax would apply on non-residential chargers. I would tend to imagine that any taxes on such would more-or-less cover the same.

    Edited for clarity and to include link to example.

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