A year after the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law, Pennsylvania is making significant progress on its clean energy goals thanks to funding provided by the law. This groundbreaking legislation allocates $370 billion to support clean energy initiatives through tax incentives, grants, and loan guarantees. The state aims to achieve 100% clean energy use by 2050, and the Inflation Reduction Act will play an important role in making this vision a reality.
According to Annie Regan, campaign director for the environmental watchdog group PennFuture, Pennsylvania received more than $300 million in Inflation Reduction Act funding along with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The fund has been used for various projects that have already yielded positive results. Regan noted that the law also led to lower energy costs for Pennsylvania families, with potential savings ranging from $300 to $1,800 a year.
A notable result of the funding was the addition of 64 electric school buses in seven school districts, funded by more than $19 million in savings. However, Republican critics expressed opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act, citing concerns about the impact on the United States’ budget deficit and on jobs in the oil and gas sector.
Despite these concerns, Regan emphasized that the funding law puts Pennsylvania at the forefront of a Green Revolution, which not only promises cleaner air, but also economic growth and opportunity. The state is expected to receive approximately $270 million in large-scale clean energy generation and storage investments by 2030. In addition, the law provides $30 billion in tax credits to boost domestic production of solar panels , wind turbines, batteries and critical mineral processing.
Regan’s group, PennFuture, in partnership with ReImagine Appalachia, is actively working to ensure that all states in the region make the most of available federal funding for renewable energy opportunities, especially in underserved communities. The goal is to create good-paying jobs through federal climate investments, emphasizing the importance of implementing clean energy projects using unionized labor.
In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act includes provisions to upgrade the nation’s electric transmission systems and offers tax credits to projects that use American-made iron and steel, which is expected to generate more employment opportunities in these industries.
