E2: Congress passes Inflation Reduction Act; clean jobs data shows every state benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2022) – Today, the House passed the Inflation Reduction Act, including the biggest investments in clean energy and climate action in history.

Bob Keefe, executive director of the national, nonpartisan business group E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) said:

“Finally, the long and tortuous wait is over. America once again is a world leader on climate action.

“Thanks to the Biden administration and Democratic leadership in Congress, we now have a shot at blunting the growing costs of climate change, while simultaneously creating jobs, driving economic growth and spurring new innovation in clean energy, transportation and agriculture.

“But make no mistake about it: Democrats may have made this happen, but this is a win for Americans of every political party and in every state – and a huge and promising step forward for our entire planet.”

According to E2’s just-released Clean Jobs America 2022 analysis, clean energy jobs are growing just as fast – if not faster – in Republican-leaning red states than they are in Democrat-leaning blue states. Similarly, E2’s earlier analysis of jobs data by congressional district shows there are nearly as many clean energy jobs in Republican districts as there are in Democrat districts.

Business leaders and E2 members from across the country praised the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

MICHIGAN: Luke Olinyk, President of Harvest Solar in Jackson, Mich. said:

“This landmark legislation will be a boon for the economy in the Midwest. With each solar project we build, we create high-quality jobs and save customers money. The investments passed by Congress will help expedite the adoption of solar to bring more of these benefits to our communities and address the growing economic costs of climate change.”

COLORADO: Kevin Morse, Managing Director for real estate investment firm Imperial Ridge Capital in Boulder, Colo. said:

“There’s no better investment Congress can make than in clean energy and climate solutions. These historic investments will make energy efficient equipment and weatherization more accessible to Americans across the country, allowing all people to lower their cost of living and improve public health.”

VIRGINIA: Col. Dave Belote (USAF-RET) and CEO of clean energy and national defense consulting company DARE Strategies in Virginia Beach, Va. said:

“As a veteran, I’ve seen firsthand how the climate crisis is one of the biggest threats to our national security—it is imperative that America attacks that threat head-on. This landmark legislation … will help ensure America remains competitive as the world shifts to clean energy and clean vehicles. The federal investments in clean energy will also create jobs that support veterans—clean energy companies on average employ more veterans than most sectors of the economy—and thus will benefit our military families as they transition back to civilian life.”

CALIFORNIA: Ariel Fan, founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based electric vehicle car charging company GreenWealth Energy, said:

“Policy matters. The Inflation Reduction Act would make it more affordable for more Americans to drive electric vehicles, which means more opportunities for small businesses like mine to keep growing.”

IOWA: Troy Van Beek, co-founder and CEO of Iowa-based solar developer Ideal Energy, said:

“Good-paying clean energy jobs are now an important part of the economy in every state, regardless of politics, location or anything else.”

NEW YORK: Dwayne Norris, co-founder and COO of Soulful Synergy in New York City said:

“This legislation will make historic investments in climate, justice, clean energy, and jobs, lower costs for families and help slash climate pollution in the U.S. by an estimated 40 percent by the end of the decade.”

NEW YORK: Suzanne Hunt, co-owner of Hunt Country Vineyards in Branchport, New York said:

“As a seventh-generation family farm, we have made it through wars economic collapses, social and technological transformations, and all manner of natural disasters. But right now it is hard to see a way for the next generation to survive in farming if we don’t work rapidly to change the climate trajectory. The Inflation Reduction Act gives me some hope. It will help famers and rural communities mitigate the increasing impacts of climate change while also supporting the transition to farming practices that rebuild soil carbon – and it will accelerate investments in on-farm renewable energy systems – so that agriculture can be a critical part of the solution to climate change.”

COLORADO, 26 other states: Michael Rucker, founder and CEO of Colorado-based Scout Clean Energy, which operates wind and other clean energy projects in 26 states, said:

“The Inflation Reduction Act promises to generate the most significant tailwind for new clean energy project installations that we’ve ever experienced.”

For more information or for interview requests, please contact Alex Frank (703-276-3264; afrank@hastingsgroup.com).

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Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors, and professionals from every sector of the economy who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. Our members have founded or funded more than 2,500 companies, created more than 600,000 jobs, and manage more than $100 billion in venture and private equity capital. For more information, see www.e2.org or follow us on Twitter at @e2org.