Talk of renewable energy and electric vehicle mandates are sweeping the nation as President Biden and blue states are looking to California’s energy policy as inspiration for big government energy policy. But by following California’s lead, the rest of the nation may soon suffer California’s fate of regular energy shortages every summer and significant ratepayer costs.
This edition of Impact uncovers California’s unfortunate reality that the state will fall 21.1 percent short of the electricity required to meet its 100 percent electric vehicle mandates if Sacramento continues down this reckless path. On pages 4-5, read about PRI’s latest energy study, Sapping California’s Energy Future, by Dr. Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson, and learn how market-based reforms can help California meet its clean energy goals while keeping energy abundant and affordable.
This edition also takes a look at the nation’s education landscape after the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action in college admissions. The Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Education effectively exposes the K-12 system’s inability to prepare underrepresented students for college. You can read the Center’s Senior Director of Education Lance Izumi’s comments on the ruling on pages 6-7.
The fight for single-payer health care rages on in California as Senate Bill 770 by Sen. Scott Wiener continues to move through the State Legislature. While the measure is a stepping-stone approach to single payer, it would have an equally disastrous impact on California’s health care system. On pages 8-9, read my commentary on the threat of single-payer health care to patients and taxpayers and learn about my work revealing the dangers of this misguided policy.
Also in this issue:
See what’s new from PRI’s Free Cities Center, including the recently published booklet by Steven Greenhut, which shows that state planners are focusing too much on trying to prod people out of their cars rather than easing traffic gridlock (Pages 12-13).
Discover how Americans are paying a $1,300 ‘tort tax.’ Fixing our nation’s legal systems would grow the economy by 2 percent finds PRI’s new study (Pages 16-17).
California is spending nearly $42,000 per homeless person yet the crisis continues. Read why “something is clearly off with California’s homeless spending” from Wayne Winegarden and Kerry Jackson (Pages 20-21).
Our work to promote free-market ideas would not be possible without your generous support. Let us continue to partner together to improve the quality of life of all Americans and advance market-based solutions to bring us continued prosperity.
Sally C. Pipes
President, CEO, and Thomas W. Smith Fellow in Health Care Policy
Pacific Research Institute
