$40B a month of that is the direct cost of oil.
It mostly goes to countries that hate us.
Indirect oil import costs are estimated at another $23B a month.

Want to fix the economy and disarm our enemies?

Keep that money in the US.

1) The rolling black-outs in California in 2003 were a result of Enron’s energy market manipulation and are not germane to this discussion. Companies intentionally with-holding power to jack up energy rates and maximize their profits just isn’t exactly a sound point to base an argument off of. The 2003 blackout was largely attributed to a failure of the grid management software of what is, nominally, a normal event.
2) It is easier to optimize the efficiency and environmental impact of thousands of power plants than millions of privately owned vehicles. In terms of harm reduction, it is likely more effective to reduce the carbon footprint of our electricity industry than the entire flotilla of american vehicles.
3) There are degrees of extremism. Most environmentalists would prefer geothermal, hydroelectric, solar or wind power to coal, gas or nuclear. The reality, though, is most sane people concerned about the environment know that any negatives of these “green” technologies are minor compared to the greenhouse gases emitted by coal and other petroleum based technologies. The watch word here is harm reduction, not harm elimination.

There are valid reasons to question an electric car. (What do you do when you run out of power on the highway? If you use a backup fuel, what do you use?) But the electric generation capacity seems like the least reasonable objection — unless of course you’re just looking for another bugbear to prevent progress.