If we’re going to realize the climate benefits of historic federal support for clean energy and jobs approved in the last two years, connections are the key. And I’m not just talking about electrifying homes and buildings.
We need to connect people to the benefits spread throughout the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. We do that by connecting people to others in the communities where they live and with the individuals, local units of government and non-profits who can help them take advantage of a lengthy list of tax credits and rebates for everything from electric cars to more energy-efficient windows and doors.
The need is clear. Seven in 10 Americans say they know little or nothing about the Inflation Reduction Act by name. The same is true for specific parts of the package, like tax credits for home solar panels and heat pumps.
Bobby Foley of Elephant Energy, a climate tech start-up in Colorado, sees the information gaps and hears the questions up close. “We are on the ground, scoping out a heat pump with homeowners and installing it.”