Energy source needed to power electric vehicles

Re: Ron Sadler’s letter (Daily Bee; May 31, 2026):

We can’t transition to all-electric vehicles without also providing an energy source for them. Electricity is not a source of energy; it has to be created from nuclear, fossil fuels, windmills, solar panels, hydro-electric dams, etc., before it is consumed by vehicles, lawnmowers, etc. It is simply a conduit. An electric car does not pollute while you’re driving it, but it does when you recharge it. Trading a gas-powered vehicle for an electric one doesn’t lessen pollution; it just moves the source from your car to the energy plant.

For example, Kentucky and West Virginia produce over 90% of their energy from coal, so an electric car in these states is essentially coal-powered. Electric cars in other states pollute less to varying degrees, determined by the energy source where they recharge.

There are a number of advantages to electric cars, as cited by Mr. Sadler, but cleaner air is not one of them. Besides, AI will require considerably more electricity in the years ahead and will probably take priority over electric cars.

The obvious solution is nuclear, but no one wants a cooling tower in their backyard. But there is lessening resistance to small nuclear plants, which would require a very small footprint and cause minimal damage in the event of an accident.

DAVE MUNDELL

Sandpoint