When the Inflation Reduction Act was passed into law two years ago today, not a single Republican voted for the legislation. But since its rollout, many of the districts represented by those politicians have seen the biggest benefits from the landmark climate bill.
In two years, that climate investment has created more than 334,565 clean energy jobs, according to a new report from Climate Power, an organization focused on communicating climate progress. And more than half of those clean energy jobs—nearly 200,000—are located in congressional districts represented by Republican House members.
What and where are the clean energy jobs?
A core goal of the Inflation Reduction Act was to accelerate a clean energy economy, by investing in the supply chain, manufacturing, and construction. In the past two years, the battery sector has seen the most growth, with 183 projects creating more than 133,000 new jobs, and over $121 billion in new investments. The solar industry is second, with 135 projects leading to more than 62,000 new jobs; followed by EVs, with 155 projects creating more than 51,000 new jobs.
“We’re creating hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs that don’t necessarily require a four-year degree,” says Alex Glass, Climate Power’s communications director. Of the IRA’s new clean energy jobs, 75% don’t require a bachelor’s degree, making them accessible to a wide array of Americans. Clean energy projects create jobs for electricians, mechanics, construction workers, technicians, and more, “so it’s all across the board,” she adds. Many of these jobs are union jobs, too.
The number of clean energy jobs from the IRA is only expected to grow—as long as the climate bill doesn’t get repealed with a Trump administration. According to a report from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center, a labor-led climate organization, there are 6,285 clean energy projects in the development pipeline nationwide that could be eligible for tax incentives tied to IRA’s labor standards. Those standards include prevailing wages (including benefits and overtime) and apprenticeship requirements, potentially leading, the center says, to 3.9 million “high-quality” jobs.
Georgia leads the states with more than 32,000 clean energy jobs, followed by New York (28,934), Texas (24,122), Michigan (21,748), Kansas (21,077), and Nevada (20,448). That more than 190,700 of the IRA’s clean energy jobs (and more than $286 billion in investment) are in 150 Republican-led districts shows that this bill is impacting “everywhere,” Glass says—even the places where politicians are trying to kill it. Since its passing, House Republicans have voted 42 times to repeal the clean energy plan. “They’re showing up at ribbon cutting ceremonies in their districts taking credit for job that are real,” Glass says, and yet also trying to turn back this progress.
Project 2025, the conservative playbook for the second Trump Administration, would also reverse these climate wins. “[Project 2025] would have a real impact on the middle class, and that’s not just hypothetical,” Glass says. It would raise household fuel and utility spending by $240 a year, and lead to 1.7 million fewer jobs in 2030, compared to the current trajectory. “We should be talking about that every single day, because we can’t afford it,” she adds.
Inflation Reduction Act tax credits
Along with creating clean energy jobs, the Biden administration’s climate bill has allowed millions of Americans to get tax credits for clean energy upgrades. More than 3.4 million American families benefited from $8.4 billion in tax credits, according to recent Department of Treasury data—and that’s just for upgrades to their homes in 2023.
With those tax credits, Americans are installing residential solar and heat pumps, and insulating their homes to increase energy efficiency. How much they save depends on the specifics of what they install. Households installing residential solar, for example, have saved a median of $2,230 annually. Those that install heat pumps and otherwise improve building efficiency could be up to $600, $1,200, or $3,100 per year, the Treasury Department says, based on the system they’re replacing.
The data on tax credits, along with the numbers on new clean energy jobs, can help make the impact of this federal legislation more tangible—and making these impacts understood is especially important ahead of the presidential election, Glass says. “People understand job creation and they understand lowering costs, so this is something we’re going to keep talking about, and it’s something that’s really very much at stake,” she says. “If [Trump] is elected, then you’re going to see these jobs going overseas, people are at risk at layoffs, and people’s energy costs are going to be rising, and that’s something that folks need to know about as we’re heading into this election.”