CHN’s Human Needs Watch: Tracking Hardship, August 25, 2023
August 25, 2023
The clean energy and infrastructure edition. Two of President Biden’s most formidable and far-reaching accomplishments while in office include passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal. Last week, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act; November will mark the second anniversary of the infrastructure law.
The Inflation Reduction Act lowers health care costs for millions of Americans and advances tax fairness by raising taxes on wealthy corporations while giving the IRS the resources it needs to pursue tax cheats and improve customer service. In addition, the new law represents the largest investment ever in clean energy and climate action.
The new infrastructure legislation also is sweeping. According to a White House fact sheet, “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind.”
Read on to see what these two new laws already have accomplished in the areas of clean energy and infrastructure – and what more great things they are expected to accomplish in the future.
170,606 |
The number of clean energy jobs created in the U.S. since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act just over a year ago. Tweet this.
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272/$278 billion |
Already, 272 clean energy projects have been launched across the country, totaling $278 billion in new investments. Tweet this.
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10 million/400K |
Up to 10 million Americans and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Act invests $55 billion to expand access to clean drinking water – including replacing lead service pipes. Tweet this.
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30 million+ |
More than 30 million Americans live in areas that lack acceptable internet access – this is particularly a problem in rural areas. The infrastructure law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to reliable, high-speed internet. Tweet this.
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20%/45,000
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Twenty percent of America’s highways and major roads and 45,000 bridges are in poor condition. The infrastructure law invests $110 billion to repair the country’s roads and bridges and support major, transformational projects. Tweet this.
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1.5 million/$250 billion |
The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to add 1.5 million jobs and $250 billion to the economy by 2030, increase per capita personal income by several thousand dollars, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 40 percent.
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Up to $1,200 |
Tenants and homeowners can get up to $1,200 a year for relatively modest home-energy savings such as adding insulation or replacing exterior windows because of the Inflation Reduction Act.
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75% |
Three-fourths of new clean energy jobs won’t require a college degree, growing the middle class and making sure ordinary people have financial security.
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$5-$10 more |
Clean energy sector jobs pay more. A 2019 Brookings report found that clean energy workers in the lowest 10 – 25 percentiles for wages earned between $5 – $10 more per hour than similar workers in other sectors, and, as noted above, they won’t need higher education for better pay.
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67% |
Two-thirds of voters say that “the impact of climate change and extreme weather are kitchen table issues in my household” that are either sometimes or often talked about.
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