Did you know? Republican districts benefit most from federal funding in clean energy
A Financial Times study found that “80% of investment in large-scale clean energy and semiconductor manufacturing pledged since (the) passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS and Science Act is destined for Republican congressional districts”
So much for the caricature of Republicans as the party of climate skeptics roaming around in giant gas-guzzling SUVs !
Exactly a year ago, when I was doing research for my new book The Frugal Economy (published last month), I found FACTS that challenged my own prejudices.
One such preconceived notion I carry since I immigrated in the US in 1999 is that the Blue (Democrat) States are pro-environment and fight valiantly against climate change whereas the Red (Republican) States are greedily pro-business and don’t give a damn about the climate crisis.
Here is the COLD REALITY:
Over 60% of Joe Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding, aimed to promote clean energy, so far has gone to Republican states, which also lead the way in US wind and solar production.
How do you explain this ?
To understand it, let’s go to Wyoming and Texas, two politically conservative US states.
A February 2024 report by National Wildlife Federation shows that citizens in Wyoming and Texas who are skeptical of alternative energy industries are surprisingly in favor of carbon removal SOLUTIONS, especially if they help create local JOBS and improve the quality of air.
In the paragraph above, I highlighted two key words: SOLUTIONS and JOBS.
Indeed, the Republican districts and states don’t want to be told about the climate PROBLEM, but they are eager to hear about — and support — climate SOLUTIONS, especially if these help create local JOBS, and by re-training fossil-fuel workers in the region.
A Climate Jobs National Resource Center report shows the IRA could generate 3,947,670 well-paying jobs related to clean energy across the US.
Sadly, filling these nearly 4 million job openings will be a mission impossible as almost all US states face a shortage of qualified workers.
An analysis by Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) at University of Massachusetts Amherst shows 20 occupations in the US will face a total labor shortage of 1.1 workers to fill new jobs created by the IRA, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and CHIPS and Science Act.
What does this all mean ? I am going to be provocative, but I will say it:
I DON’T CARE WHO WINS THIS YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
Given the data shared above, the fight against climate change in America will no longer be led at NATIONAL level but at the LOCAL level, at the state and even county level.
As I explain in my new book, we need strong LOCAL POLITICAL LEADERSHIP — be it Red or Blue — in each of the 3,143 US counties so we can unlock thousands of CLIMATE OPPORTUNITIES across America in coming decade.
