President Joe Biden recently signed the Inflation Reduction Act, setting aside billions of dollars to address climate change. The new law is being hailed as the most significant legislative action the U.S. has ever taken to move the U.S. toward renewable energy and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Several facility industry organizations hailed the new law.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) said in a statement to its members, “This is a giant step forward for the green building community and is the largest climate investment in our country’s history. The new law will provide tax incentives for American families and businesses to invest in energy efficiency and other investments in green infrastructure to help build more resilient communities.” The statement concludes: “This is our window to drive meaningful climate action that benefits American families, jobs and communities.” USGBC says it plans to hold multiple webinars and classes in the coming months to educate those in the buildings industry on how to best take advantage of the renewable energy and other provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The Solar Energy Industries Association also applauded the new law. In a statement, the organization’s president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper said: “The Inflation Reduction Act will drive historic investments in clean energy deployment and manufacturing which will help create millions of new, well-paying careers. In the face of a global energy crisis and rising inflation, the measures in this bill will strengthen America’s energy security by boosting production here at home, all while lowering prices for families through investment in historic levels of low-cost, reliable clean energy.
“This is a momentous day for every American. Despite the party-line vote, the policies contained in this legislation are incredibly popular and will be an economic boon for communities across the country.”
And finally, the Natural Resources Defense Council added its praise. Manish Bapna, NRDC’s president and CEO said: “This is a turning point in the climate fight - the strongest U.S. action yet to confront the existential challenge of our time. Our children are watching. This gives me more hope than ever that we’ll do what we must to leave them a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. Moving forward, we must implement this progress in a way that drives benefits to the people who need them most and ensures that frontline communities aren’t further burdened by climate and fossil fuel harm. That means making certain that investments to fight climate change meet the administration’s Justice40 goals by addressing environmental injustice and spurring economic opportunity for disadvantaged communities.”
Greg Zimmerman is senior contributing editor for FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management magazine.
