EARLIER THIS WEEK, PRESIDENT TRUMP SUSPENDED A PROGRAM TO EXPAND THE COUNTRY'S NETWORK OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGERS.

IT IS HIS LATEST IN A SERIES OF EFFORTS TO UNDO BIDEN-ERA POLICIES ENCOURAGING EV ADOPTION.

BUT IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, EV'S AND OTHER LOW-CARBON TECHNOLOGIES ARE BECOMING MORE POPULAR NOT BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES, BUT BECAUSE THEY MAKE ECONOMIC SENSE.

THAT IS WHAT I FOUND WHEN I RECENTLY VISITED UTAH - A POLITICALLY RED STATE, WHERE SOME RESIDENTS ARE GOING GREEN.

>> IT IS USUALLY REALLY BEAUTIFUL THIS TIME OF YEAR.

ALI: HE IS A FATHER OF FOUR AND SELF-DESCRIBED MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD CONSERVATIVE.

>> I WOULD DESCRIBE MYSELF AS LEANING MORE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE, BUT VERY NUANCED AS WELL.

ALI: BORN AND RAISED IN UTAH, HE HAS WORKED IN INSURANCE HERE FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, BUT YOU WOULD BE FORGIVEN FOR THINKING HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL FIDDLE PLAYER.

THAT IS NOT THE ONLY THING ABOUT HIM THAT IS SURPRISING.

DESPITE HIS CONSERVATIVE POLITICS, HE IS A FAN OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES WHICH STUDIES SHOW 10 TO BE MORE POPULAR WITH LEFT-LEANING CONSUMERS.

>> WE NEVER AND A MILLION YEARS THOUGHT AN EV CAR IS SOMETHING WE WOULD OWN BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE WOULD LOOK AT AN ELECTRIC CAR IT SEEMED SO EXPENSIVE.

ALI: THAT ALL CHANGED THE DAY HE FOUND A FULLY ELECTRIC CHEVY BOLT FOR THE RIGHT PRICE.

>> WE ENDED UP PICKING THE CAR UP FOR $10,000 WITH 15,000 MILES ON IT.

I WAS BLOWN AWAY.

ALI: THE COST MADE AN EV FAR MORE ATTRACTIVE.

AN ADDED BONUS, EASIER ON THE ENVIRONMENT.

UTAH ALREADY HAS SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE NATION.

>> OUR FAMILY IS VERY INTO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, HIKING, BIKING.

WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS OF TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND OUR SURROUNDINGS.

ALI: HE IS FAR FROM ALONE IN SOLIDLY REPUBLICAN UTAH.

EV REGISTRATION IN THIS STATE SLIGHTLY EXCEEDED THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IN THE MOST RECENT DATA FROM 2023.

>> FOLKS ARE INTIMATELY AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE WITH AIR QUALITY, BOTH IN TERMS OF OUR HEALTH AND FOR WHAT IT MEANS IN TERMS OF THE BEAUTY OF THE STATE.

ALI: JOSH KRAFT LEADS AFFAIRS FOR UTAH CLEAN ENERGY, A NONPROFIT THAT ADVOCATES FOR GREEN TECHNOLOGY.

>> THERE IS A REAL UNDERSTANDING YOUR VEHICLE CHOICE MATTERS AND IF YOU CAN MOVE TO A ZERO EMISSIONS VEHICLE, THAT WILL HELP EVERYBODY.

ALI: A MINDSET SHARED BY REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST MIKE MURPHY WHO WORKED IN POLITICS FOR DECADES.

TODAY HE LEADS THE EV POLITICS PROJECT WHICH HE HOPES TO CLOSE THE NEEDLESS PARTISAN DIVIDE OVER EV'S.

FOR YEARS HE SAID THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE FOR MANY CONSUMERS LIKE ROB SORENSEN WAS HIGH PRICES, BUT IT IS BECOMING LESS OF A STUMBLING BLOCK.

>> WITH ALL THE EV'S COMING OFF LEASE THERE WAS A HUGE SUPPLY OF USED ELECTRIC VEHICLES ON THE MARKET, WHICH HAS DEPRESSED PRICES.

ALI: AS THE PRICES CONTINUE TO DROP, HE BELIEVES THE POLITICAL DIVIDE OVER THIS WILL DIMINISH, TOO.

>> THE ONLY THING THEY FIGHT OVER IS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.

THAT IS IMPORTANT TO DEMOCRATS AND IS OFFPUTTING TO REPUBLICANS.

NOW THE PRICE TAG APPEAL, ESPECIALLY IN THE USED MARKET, IS OVERCOMING SOME OF THE DOGMA.

>> WE BUILT THE HOUSE IN 1991.

ALI: FOR MANY UTAHANS, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CHOICES ARE LESS POLITICAL AND MORE ABOUT LIFESTYLE.

THEY LIVE NEAR THE WEST DESERT AND FOR YEARS HE WORKED AT A COAL PLANT, BUT WHEN HE BUILT HIS OWN HOME HE HAD SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND.

SOLAR PANELS, DOUBLE INSULATED WALLS AND A SOUTH FACING SOLARIUM DESIGNED TO HEAT THE WHOLE HOUSE.

THIS WHOLE HOUSE IS ENERGY EFFICIENT AND ENERGY INDEPENDENT.

WHY WAS THAT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

>> BY BEING ENERGY EFFICIENT YOU USE LESS RESOURCES.

YOU MAKE BETTER USE OF WHAT YOU HAVE.

I HAVE ALWAYSELT IS -- IT IS GOOD TO BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THE LAND.

IF MORE PEOPLE DID THIS, THAT WOULD MEAN LESS POWER PLANTS WOULD HAVE TO BE BUILT.

EVEN THOUGH I WORKED AT ONE.

ALI: HE TOLD US HE IS NOT YET SOLD ON EV'S.

HE PREFERS DIESEL CARS FOR THEIR FUEL EFFICIENCY AND LONGEVITY.

>> MY VEHICLE COULD BE SENT TO THE SCRAP YARD AND REUSED.

YOU CAN'T REUSE THE LITHIUM BATTERIES.

YOU CAN'T REUSE SOME OF THE MATERIALS THE CAR IS MADE WITH, VERY LITTLE OF IT.

ALI: GOODRICH SAYS LIKE THIS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, HE FAVORS AND ALL OF THE ABOVE APPROACHED ENERGY INCLUDING FOSSIL FUELS AND RENEWABLES.

THOUGH MANY EXPERTS WARN CONTINUED USE OF FOSSIL FUELS DRIVE CLIMATE CHANGE.

HE BELIEVES PEOPLE WILL MAKE GREEN CHOICES LIKE HE DOES WHEN IT MAKES SENSE FOR THEM.

>> THAT IS THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THESE PEOPLE I CALL THE SO-CALLED ENVIRONMENTALISTS, IT ALL HAS TO BE ONE WAY.

ALI: BUT ACROSS UTAH WE FOUND SIGNS THIS STATE IS ACTIVELY GETTING INTO THE RENEWABLE ENERGY BUSINESS.

ABOUT AN HOUR OUTSIDE SELLECK CITY, THE ELECTRON SOLAR FARM HOUSES ONE SQUARE MILE OF SOLAR PANELS, INTRODUCES 80 MEGAWATTS OF POWER A DAY, PROVIDES ELECTRICITY TO ALMOST ALL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS IN SELLECK CITY, PARK CITY, TWO SKI RESORTS AND THE UNIVERSITY.

>> IT IS AMAZING.

I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE AND SCALE.

ALI: HER COMPANY DEVELOPED ELECTRON.

>> THE ENVIRONMENT IS FANTASTIC FOR GREEN ENTREPRENEURS IN UTAH.

ALI: SHE SAYS THEY HAVE WELCOMED RENEWABLE PRODUCTS TO MEET INDUSTRY DEMAND, TRIGGERED BY CONSTRUCTION OF A MASSIVE DATA CENTER FOR METTA, THEN CALLED FACEBOOK.

>> THEY WANT ENERGY FOR THEIR FACILITIES AND THAT PROLIFERATED A LOT OF SOLAR DEVELOPMENT IN UTAH.

ALI: ROB SORENSEN'S FAMILY GOT INTO THE BOOM, INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS AND SAID THE STEEP INVESTMENT PAID OFF.

THEIR MONTHLY ELECTRIC BILL HAS BEEN SMALLER EVER SINCE.

EVEN THOUGH WE CAN TELL HE LIKES HIS INSTRUMENTS UNPLUGGED, HE HAS GONE ELECTRIC JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE ELSE.

>> OUR LAWNMOWERS, WEED WHACKERS, EVERYTHING IS UPGRADED TO ELECTRIC.

THEY ARE NOT ONLY CLEAN, THEY ARE EXTREMELY POWERFUL.

ALI: HE THINKS BACK WHEN HE WAS RELUCTANT TO DIVE INTO THE EV MARKET AND BOUGHT INTO AN INCORRECT MARKET THAT THEY ARE - - ARGUMENT THAT THEY ARE SO DIRTY BECAUSE THEIR BATTERIES ARE POWERED BY FOSSIL FUELS.

>> THE MORE I LOOKED INTO IT, I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT.

HOW MUCH COAL DID IT TAKE TO DRIVE YOUR 250 MILES IN YOUR EV CAR?

ALI: THAT IS A QUESTION HE BELIEVES MORE AND MORE UTAH RESIDENTS MAY BE ASKING IN THE YEARS TO COME.