Should decarbonization policies be used as a tool for industrial policy? The recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) imposes domestic sourcing requirements on electric vehicle (EV) tax credits. They are causing friction between the United States and its European and Asian allies. Drawing on a recent paper, we suggest that these restrictions do not reflect the U.S. public opinion, either. Our research suggests that U.S. public support for EV subsidies does not depend on either economic nationalism or equity concerns. Instead, the U.S. public favors faster uptake of technologies by making the EV tax credit available to all. There is a broader question to be asked: under what conditions should decarbonization policies be made conditional on achieving other societal goals?


You can read the commentary here:

https://www.theregreview.org/2023/01/23/public-opinion-supports-electric-vehicle-tax-credits/