Climate action has brought record investments and jobs
One year after a major climate bill was passed, many states are flourishing thanks to an influx of clean energy investment and jobs.
When the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law last August, it unleashed a stream of clean energy and conservation projects and investments, with governors across the nation quickly taking the initiative to welcome at least $84 billion of investment for their states. There have been over $100 billion in U.S. solar and storage company investments.
Montana, along with several other states, was allocated $23 million for landscape conservation and restoration in the Prairie Pothole region. Montana is also receiving an overall $8.4 million in funding for wild-land fire management in fiscal year 2023.
In nearby Colorado, Governor Polis recently said there are “…exciting money-saving changes for Coloradans [that] mean reliable, lower energy costs and good-paying jobs, as we continue to fuel the innovation that makes Colorado a national leader in clean energy. We are cutting red tape, creating good paying jobs and improving air quality as we continue to make bold progress towards achieving 100% renewable energy by 2040.”
There has been approximately "$278 billion in new clean energy investments, creating more than 170,000 jobs, across the US in the first year of the Inflation Reduction Act,” according to an estimate by the advocacy group Climate Power.
The Department of Energy estimates we’ll see at least $7 billion in large-scale clean power generation and storage in Montana by 2030. With our abundant wind, solar, geothermal and hydro resources, Montana is also well positioned to embrace the fight to reduce climate pollution.
All this investment illustrates how we can reap rewards for Montana residents while tackling the most pressing issue of our time — escalating weather extremes due to the heat-trapping carbon pollution we continue to release into the atmosphere, altering our climate. Like many parts of the U.S., Montana has not escaped this summer’s climate extremes. This August alone the Flathead has experienced near record temperatures, smoky days and weeks of severe drought.
While such climate events can be overwhelming, the good news is the U.S. is rapidly embracing tangible solutions to reduce the carbon emissions damaging our climate. Even better, the solutions are boosting the pocketbooks of everyday folks.
The Inflation Reduction Act was packed full of incentives for Montana’s residents with effectively a free “clean energy bank account” to cut emissions while reducing household bills and improving air quality. Savvy consumers are already taking advantage of savings adding up to more than $1,000 per year when purchasing electric cars, induction stoves, energy-efficient appliances and replacing single-pane windows.
We can thank Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester for supporting bills that have helped climate solutions progress in Congress, but we are just beginning our journey to use climate solutions to better the lives of people in our state.
At the very least, the climate policy progress we have already made must remain intact. With an election year around the corner, it may be tempting to play politics around this legislation or around the climate issue in general, but any efforts to roll back or redirect this critical climate investment would be ill-advised. Voters like us want — and expect — these benefits to flow into our state.
As our legislators look to the future of our state, they should ramp up our clean energy efforts, meeting the moment to reduce climate pollution while bringing good jobs and real-world benefits to the people of Montana.
Sam Neff is a volunteer with the Flathead chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Mark Reynolds is the executive director of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.