PENNSYLVANIA LEADERS CELEBRATE HOUSE PASSAGE OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT’S HISTORIC CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY INVESTMENTS

HARRISBURG, Penn. – Today, Pennsylvania leaders issued statements of support following the House passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history. Pennsylvania stands to benefit tremendously from these historic climate and clean energy investments, which will create thousands of good-paying union jobs across the state and lower consumer energy prices, while combating the worst effects of climate change and advancing environmental justice. 

The Inflation Reduction Act is the bold job-creating climate action Pennsylvanians have been fighting for for years. An overwhelming majority (81%) of registered voters in Pennsylvania support investments in clean energy jobs and 78% support Congressional climate action. Environmental, labor, business, and faith leaders from throughout Pennsylvania are praising passage of this landmark legislation, saying: 

Ashleigh Deemer, Deputy Director of PennEnvironment: “Poll after poll shows that Pennsylvanians want action to combat climate change, and this bill is the biggest step yet toward that goal. The tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act will help people power their homes with solar energy, buy electric vehicles, and retrofit their homes — all at an unprecedented scale. Today we celebrate the extraordinary things that we can accomplish when our elected leaders come together and find common ground.” 

Dan Taylor, BlueGreen Alliance Appalachian Regional Field Organizer: “This Inflation Reduction Act demonstrates that we don’t have to choose between good jobs and a clean economy—we can have both. This bill will create 9 million jobs over 10 years and reduce climate emissions up to 44% by 2030. We urge the House of Representatives to pass the Inflation Reduction Act.”

Rev. Mitchell Hescox, President & CEO of Evangelical Environmental Network: “Extreme weather, fossil fuel pollution, increased vector-borne diseases, and food and water scarcity fueled by climate change threaten every child of God, both here in the United States and throughout the farthest corners of the world. Yet with the Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the hope for a quick passage in the House of Representatives, the United States is now decisively moving the most transformative piece of climate and clean energy legislation in American history. While the IRA is not a silver bullet, it is a giant leap forward for humanity and for all God’s creation.” 

Joanne Kilgour, Executive Director of Ohio River Valley Institute: “The Inflation Reduction Act would make significant investments in clean energy activities that currently provide 3.2 million jobs nationally and more than 90,000 jobs in Pennsylvania alone – jobs that grew by 6.3% just last year. The investments include areas like utility-scale wind, solar, and battery storage, residential and community solar, and a great deal for energy efficiency, which provides nearly three-quarters of clean energy jobs.” 

Henry McKay, Pennsylvania Program Director of Solar United Neighbors: “The Inflation Reduction Act recognizes that so much of the inflation Americans have been experiencing is driven by volatile fossil fuel prices. By making it more affordable to go solar and drive electric, this historic legislation provides powerful protection against inflation, saving Americans money while also fighting climate change. With solar panels on your roof and an electric vehicle that you charge at home, no fossil fuel autocrat can get between you and your energy.” 

Alison L. Steele, Executive Director of Environmental Health Project: “The Inflation Reduction Act includes investments in clean energy that ​are expected to reduce air pollution considerably, preventing a wide range of health burdens and saving thousands of lives each year. This path represents a major win for public health, especially in already-afflicted communities of color, where air quality improvements are projected to reduce pollution-related deaths at greater rates than in other populations.”  

For more information on how the Inflation Reduction Act will benefit Pennsylvanians, check out our latest fact sheet.