Researchers at Dartmouth and Princeton released a BlueGreen Alliance-funded report on the estimated impacts the Inflation Reduction Act will have on the U.S. wind and solar industry, including changes in wind and solar manufacturing, labor standards for clean energy workers, job creation, and demand for materials.

Clean technology manufacturing is having a moment. In order to address climate change, we are going to need to produce a lot more solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, building efficiency products, electric vehicles, batteries, and other clean energy goods. Since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, manufacturers have already announced more than $200 billion in private investment for solar, wind, energy storage, and electric vehicle projects in the U.S. The 48C tax credit is particularly well suited to build U.S. manufacturing capacity in specific segments of clean energy supply chains where we face the biggest gaps—gaps that are reflected in our new supply chain analysis.

The road to net-zero emissions requires rapid acceleration of clean energy technology and low-carbon materials production. The Evergreen State is well-positioned to lead this clean manufacturing revolution and grow a new generation of high-road jobs. Washington is already home to world-class production facilities for materials like steel rebar and aluminum plate, and its strong climate commitments and highly-skilled manufacturing workforce are two cornerstones of a robust low-carbon industrial economy.

The Washington State Legislature delivered the Washington Clean Manufacturing Leadership Act (2SSB 5269) to Governor Inslee’s desk, where it awaits his signature. 2SSB 5269 creates a statewide industrial strategy to strengthen Washington’s existing manufacturing base. The bill harnesses the more than $50 billion in industrial transformation investments in the Inflation Reduction Act to build a robust, low-carbon manufacturing economy in Washington State.

Within six months of President Biden’s signature on the Inflation Reduction Act, companies announced a wave of solar, battery, and other clean tech manufacturing investments that will create more than 100,000 jobs across 31 states to make the nuts and bolts of clean energy. Many of the job openings will be in communities that have endured decades of divestment, deindustrialization, and economic insecurity. That response to the Inflation Reduction Act’s unprecedented federal funding is faster than anyone predicted. It offers an early validation of the strategy behind the law: to wield public investments to support climate action, good jobs, and greater equity at the same time. But some prominent commentators argue this is trying to do too much. Ezra Klein, for example, writes that such multi-pronged goals suffer from “everything bagel liberalism” that threatens the success of these landmark investments. 

By Reem Rayef, Senior Policy Advisor With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act last year came Congress’ framework of an updated clean vehicle consumer tax credit that strikes a tough balance. It accelerates the deployment of clean and electric vehicles (EVs), while incentivizing automakers to secure and bring their auto manufacturing supply chains to…

The Biden administration today announced a suite of advancements related to industrial investment and Buy Clean procurement policies.

BlueGreen Alliance Executive Director Jason Walsh joined the White House for a roundtable convening with White House officials, industrial sector executives, and labor leaders to discuss how emissions-reducing investments in industrial transformation can create good, union jobs in the United States.