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This week, we are celebrating the two year anniversary of the passage of the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, the largest and most significant climate law ever enacted. For more, be sure to follow LCV on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
“The bottom line is this: Two years in, the largest climate investment in history is working.”
— John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States, on the impact of the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act.
“Why not train the people that live in that community to fix the issues of that community?”
— Hector Tello, Sustainability Program Manager at the Hispanic American Construction Industry Association (HACIA), on jobs training and investment made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act.
“That is driving investment, it’s driving research and development and it’s getting results. It’s taking dirty, polluting fossil fuels off the grid and putting clean, renewable energy on the grid.”
— Pete Maysmith, LCV Senior Vice President of Campaigns, on how state level 100% clean energy commitments are driving climate progress nationwide.
TWO YEARS OF CLIMATE, JUSTICE, AND JOBS PROGRESS: Today marks the second anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. In the last two years, we have seen incredible progress on climate, justice, and jobs issues nationwide. Read more in the newest article on the Power Source Blog!
HELPING EVERYDAY PEOPLE SAVE MONEY: The Inflation Reduction Act is lowering upfront costs to purchase an electric vehicle, install energy efficient appliances, home weatherization, solar panels and more, to make these upgrades more accessible for everyday people. On top of the upfront savings, making these changes can save households hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on their energy bills. Check out lcv.org/stories to read tons of stories (and more being added all the time!) of real people who have taken advantage of the opportunities offered by the Inflation Reduction Act.
CLIMATE AND EQUITABLE JOBS ACT IS BRINGING IRA BENEFITS TO ILLINOIS: In 2021, Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), the most ambitious and equitable clean energy transition bill in the country. Today, CEJA is helping Illinoisians access the benefits of the IRA. Learn more in this video from LCV and the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC)!
OVER 330,000 JOBS: In the two years since the administration signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, companies have created over 330,000 new, good-paying clean energy jobs nationwide, many of which do not require a college degree. Learn more in the report from Climate Power.
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES NEW FUNDING TO BOLSTER AUTO COMMUNITIES AND EV MANUFACTURING: The Department of Energy has announced $50 million going to states with large automotive workforces, including Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Illinois, to help boost electric vehicle manufacturing and create good-paying jobs.
OUR TAKE: LCV Government Affairs Advocate on Climate Change & Clean Energy Darien Davis said, “The Biden-Harris administration is continuing to deliver on the historic progress of the Inflation Reduction Act by advancing clean energy, good-paying union jobs, and climate solutions to put us on the path to address the climate crisis at the speed and scale science requires. Investing in electric vehicles will help ensure cleaner air for communities, especially historically excluded communities of color and communities with low wealth who are the most impacted by fossil-fueled tailpipe pollution. We’re thrilled the Biden-Harris administration is prioritizing investments for manufacturing facilities with unionized workforces and in disadvantaged communities. These funds will not only help protect clean energy union jobs, but ensure more clean energy jobs are created for our future generations.”
DOE AWARDS $389M TO BOOST NEW ENGLAND OFFSHORE WIND: A coalition of New England states has received $389 million from the Department of Energy for improvements to their power grid to boost grid capacity and bring more offshore wind energy online. The increased grid capacity will allow enough wind power to provide energy for more than 2 million homes to flow onto the grid.
BOEM HOLDS OFFSHORE WIND LEASE AUCTION IN THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC: On Wednesday, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management auctioned off wind energy areas (WEAs) located off the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia that, once developed, could generate enough clean energy to power 2.2 million homes (6.3GW). The auction drew six competitive bids for the leases totaling nearly $93 million.
OUR TAKE: LCV Senior Government Affairs Advocate David Shadburn said, “Secretary Haaland and the Biden-Harris Administration continue to deliver on their promise to bring more affordable clean energy to the public. Offshore wind is a vital piece of the puzzle to reach our national climate and environmental justice goals. With sales like today, it is clear there is strong support to continue building new offshore wind projects and the jobs and economic development they’ll bring to our shores.”
VLCV TAKE: Virginia LCV Deputy Director Lee Francis said, “Today’s auction off Virginia’s coast is good news for clean energy here in the Commonwealth. With the largest wind farm already under construction here, creating hundreds of good-paying jobs and economic investment in Coastal Virginia, additional offshore wind generation will help us meet our long-term goals to achieve 100% clean energy and continue bringing good-paying jobs and investment to our state as we work to become an East Coast hub for the offshore wind industry.”
MARYLAND LCV TAKE: Maryland LCV Executive Director Kim Coble said, “Maryland’s offshore wind potential is closer to becoming a reality with today’s auction. This source of clean, renewable energy will be a key part of Maryland’s efforts to reduce our carbon emissions, create local jobs that invest in families across the state, and improve our energy security. It’s a major step forward in our state’s commitment to meet Maryland’s ambitious clean energy targets and our commitment to addressing environmental justice. With continued partnership with federal agencies, exemplified through Maryland’s recent MOU with BOEM, we have the opportunity to invest in clean energy and clean air along our coast.”
BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION DESIGNATES 1908 SPRINGFIELD RACE RIOT NATIONAL MONUMENT: The Biden-Harris administration announced the designation of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois to acknowledge the tragic Springfield massacre and other forms of racial violence against Black people in our nation’s history.
OUR TAKE: LCV President Gene Karpinski said, “Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the Springfield branch of the NAACP and local advocates and activists, the Biden-Harris administration has established a national monument to acknowledge the tragic Springfield massacre and other forms of racial violence against Black people in our nation’s history. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument confronts one of the country’s most brutal instances of mass anti-Black violence and serves as a testament to the courage of Black leaders, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who fought to end racial violence. LCV commends the Biden-Harris administration for further cementing its legacy of honoring and protecting our nation’s cultural heritage, public lands and historical sites, and encourages the administration to build on this legacy by continuing to champion the protection of our nation’s public lands and cultural sites.”
IEC TAKE: Illinois Environmental Council State Government Affairs Director, and long-time Springfield resident, Ariel Hampton said, “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a National Monument, and commend our partners at the Springfield branch of the NAACP, Sierra Club Illinois, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and countless local activists for their work to advocate for this designation. The mass racial violence in Springfield in 1908 has reverberated across the past century, and the impacts continue to be felt in Springfield and across Illinois. Today, Black residents in Springfield are more likely to experience environmental injustices like air pollution from the Dallman coal plant and water contamination from lead pipes. As we work to mitigate these injustices, this National Monument will serve as a reminder to learn from our history so as not to repeat it.”
In 2022, LCV and IEC sent a letter to the National Park Service urging President Biden to protect the Springfield site to acknowledge our nation’s terrible legacy of racial violence and to tell the story of Black leadership to overcome that legacy by designating the 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument.
LCVAF ENDORSED CANDIDATES WIN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN PRIMARIES: LCV Action Fund endorsed candidates U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Angie Craig won their respective primary elections in Minnesota on Tuesday. On Wednesday, U.S. Representative Gwen Moore and candidates former U.S. Representative Peter Barca and Dr. Kristin Lyerly won their primaries in Wisconsin.
LCVAF TAKE: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “Senator Amy Klobuchar and Representative Angie Craig have proven records as champions for our communities, clean air and water, public lands, and a clean energy future. Minnesota has been a leader in tackling the climate crisis, and LCV Action Fund is all-in to support Senator Klobuchar and Representative Craig who are committed to fight for people and the planet.”
TAKE 2: LCV Action Fund Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Tiernan Sittenfeld said, “Congratulations to these climate candidates on their victories tonight in Wisconsin. Communities across Wisconsin are seeing unusual extreme weather year after year from the climate crisis, and are experiencing devastating impacts from pollution, increased utility bills, and worsening droughts and fires that impact agriculture across the state. LCV Action Fund is all-in to support these climate champions who will fight for our communities and future generations.”
ALASKA GOVERNOR SIGNS COMMUNITY ENERGY BILL INTO LAW: The Alaska Center joined Governor Mike Dunleavy at the bill signing of the “Saving Alaskans money with Voluntary community Energy Act” (SAVE Act) this week. This legislation increases access to clean energy by allowing Alaskans to invest in and share the benefits of community energy installations, saving them money on their energy bills.
AK CENTER TAKE: Alaska Center Co-Executive Director Chantal de Alcuaz said, “We are thrilled to see Community Energy signed into law today. Alaskans need access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy, whether or not they are homeowners. At the same time, we have an urgent need to diversify our grid, and allow new energy generation projects to come online by any means possible. Large and small scale Community Energy programs will get us one step closer to an equitable energy landscape for all Alaskans.”
WISCONSIN VOTERS REJECT REPUBLICAN ATTACK ON CHECKS AND BALANCES: Wisconsinites rejected an attempt by Republicans to rewrite the state’s constitution to weaken checks and balances on state government, impair critical life-saving responses to emergencies, and double-down on gridlock in the state legislature. Wisconsin Conservation Voters (WCV), along with its partners in the Wisconsin Votes No coalition, pushed voter turnout to the highest it’s been in 60 years. WCV will be looking to repeat this success in opposing a November ballot measure aimed at fueling anti-immigrant sentiment at the ballot box.
WCV TAKE: Wisconsin Conservation Voters Executive Director Kerry Schumann said, “Once explained clearly, Wisconsin voters understood that these attempts were yet another power grab by politicians and their special interest backers. Voters are clearly tired of these underhanded tactics and won’t be fooled by tricks and dishonesty. This is a victory for Wisconsin and will allow the efficient mobilization of federal funding when necessary for everything from natural disaster response to childcare services.”
MAKING THE CASE FOR AMBITIOUS OFFSHORE WIND PROCUREMENT IN MASSACHUSETTS: As Massachusetts plans for it’s largest offshore wind procurement – up to 3.6 GW of electricity – a new report commissioned by the Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) shows that purchasing the full amount would have minimal impact on customers’ energy bills. Read the full report.
ELM TAKE: Environmental League of Massachusetts President Elizabeth Turnbull Henry said, “Affordability is fundamental to the successful deployment of offshore wind. With a minimal increase in electricity prices, Massachusetts will be pulling our biggest lever possible to address the climate crisis while strengthening our regional economy, improving public health, and creating family-sustaining union jobs. Massachusetts should contract for the full 3.6 GW of offshore wind for which it requested bids, ensuring Massachusetts continues to be a leader in building an equitable clean energy future.”
PROTECTING RATEPAYERS FROM DATA CENTER ENERGY DEMAND: Meech Carter, clean energy campaigns director at North Carolina LCV, co-authored an op-ed highlighting the energy demand of data centers and the impact on residential customers’ energy bills. Carter argues that utilities must protect ratepayers from these costs and offers solutions that invest in an equitable, affordable clean energy transition.
NCLCV TAKE: North Carolina LCV Clean Energy Campaigns Director Meech Carter and Center for Progressive Reform policy analyst Sophie Loeb said, “As temperatures get hotter, there is no doubt our energy bills will go up. However, we must do everything we can to prevent massive projects from raising our bills even more. Investing in energy-draining artificial intelligence data centers not only increases electric rates for everyone, it takes away valuable jobs for rural communities. It’s time to invest in people over profits in North Carolina!”
AMPLIFYING LATINO VOICES ON CLIMATE ACTION: Chispa Nevada Director Audrey Peral participated in Climate Power’s En Accion panel to highlight the impact of climate change on local Latino communities. The discussion focused on raising awareness, accessing IRA funds, and fostering collaboration to support each other. Check out their post!
ON THE BLOG: Can you believe it? The Biden-Harris administration’s landmark climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, is turning two! Read about the climate, justice, and jobs achievements from the bill that have been living rent free in our heads.
ON OUR SOCIALS: The Paris Olympics may have ended, but we’re still racking up gold medals in being Big Oil, Project 2025, and weird Republican haters. But we’re not always haters; we actually really like the climate, justice, and jobs achievements of the Inflation Reduction Act, and seeing our climate champions win. BTW, we’re not going back.
THIS MONTH: August Congressional Recess.
TODAY: 2nd anniversary of the passage of the historic climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act.
AUGUST 19-22: Democratic National Convention.
©2024 League of Conservation Voters