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Making the Inflation Reduction Act Work for All of Us

Benefits for Justice and Climate Action

We have federal climate legislation. Now it’s all about implementation.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network fought day and night for a year and a half alongside many others to pass strong federal climate legislation—leading to a historic victory in 2022 with the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)!

But there’s no time to rest. After success comes an even greater challenge: implementation. Because the climate and justice provisions have enormous potential to improve life for Americans all over the country, but they need to be carried out the right way. So now we’re focusing on exactly that: Making sure that the IRA is implemented with justice at its center. At its fullest potential, the IRA can reduce our country’s emissions 50-52% by 2035, marking historic progress for our nation and the world.

This is a BIG bill. A great bill. But so much information can be overwhelming. That’s where we come in. We’re here to make sure the IRA gets implemented in a manner that is equally equitable and aggressive. Read on for resources about implementation for the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as how you can share this with your friends and family. 

What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act?

The climate commitments in the budget reconciliation investment package are by far the most ambitious climate policy put forward by any American president. The plan spends $555 billion going to policies that directly reduce emissions. See a full breakdown here.

Collectively, these unprecedented investments cut climate pollution 40 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2035 while creating hundreds of thousands of family-sustaining jobs and advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Energy and Climate Investments

The White House launched CleanEnergy.Gov to help navigate the labyrinth of the IRA. On the website, you can sign up for clean energy updates related to IRA, see how you and your family can save money using tax credits and rebates, and read the latest news from agencies. Click here to read The White House Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook.

Opportunities to Lower Bills

Estimate your household’s electrification incentives using the Rewiring America calculator. Based upon your household information, see which incentive programs you’re eligible for and read brief descriptions on how these programs work. 

Funding for Justice

The project also found an average yearly savings of $67 billion for households, businesses, and industry, shifting costs through cost savings from lower energy bills, less expensive EVs and heat pumps, and finance investments, 

We’re not just talking about abstract estimates here. The Sierra Club has analyzed the real-world benefits of this investment package. They include: 

  • Install 200,000 EV charging stations across the country
  • Convert tens of thousands of diesel school buses to clean electric buses so schoolchildren can breathe clean air
  • Help the average family save about hundreds of dollars each year in utility bills
  • Help reconnect neighborhoods — primarily in Black and Latinx communities — that have been divided for decades by highways that reinforce systemic racism and spur pollution
  • More than double the speed of wind and solar power expansion, bringing renewable energy to millions of additional homes each year
  • Support the efforts of more than 200,000 farmers to protect healthy soil so as to increase harvests, reduce the impacts of droughts, and trap more climate pollution
  • And so much more! Read a full list here.

Collectively, these unprecedented investments would put us on track to achieve President Biden’s goal of cutting climate pollution in half by 2030 while creating hundreds of thousands of family-sustaining jobs and advancing racial, economic, and environmental justice across the nation.

States, counties, municipalities, tribes, and non-profits will play a major role in the just and equitable distribution of funding. Using the two links below, you can navigate the 200+ funding programs and see how to best pursue local opportunities. 

Using the Federal Funding Opportunities for Local Decarbonization tool filter available funding sources automatically and focus on the funding sources relevant to your project, goals, and community.

See this list of Immediate Federal Funding Opportunities

Demand Action Today: Sign This Petition

The provisions of this bill are great—but only if they actually roll out. So far, the Biden Administration has been slow to provide rules for most of these funding programs. This could potentially lead to serious problems if Biden is voted out of the White House or if Congress votes to repeal the bill. 

So take action now: Urge the White House to speed up implementation and begin funding climate justice initiative asap!

Spread the Word about the Inflation Reduction Act

Are you wondering how you can share all the benefits of IRA with your friends, family, neighbors, or community groups? 

CCAN is here to help. We’ve created a presentation summarizing the 184 page White House IRA guidebook, highlighting key provisions, and answering frequently asked questions. We’ll be taking our presentation on the road to local elected officials, organizations, and individuals. If you’re interested in having CCAN’s IRA Roadshow come to you, inquire here

Join Our CCAN Team of Climate Activists

We’re thrilled that Congress passed climate reconciliation investment package. But it’s not over. We’re going to keep fighting against dangerous fossil fuel projects and pushing Congress to do more.

Sign up for a one-on-one with a CCAN organizer to learn how you can do more. Or simply email Quentin Scott at quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org.