The Trump administration and the Republican budget blueprint call for repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and clawing back funding that has already been authorized by Congress for Nevada.
The IRA includes several components that are a huge boost to the economy of Northern Nevada and the health of our communities.
First are the clean energy tax credits and loans. The IRA allocated $6.5 billion to firms in Northern Nevada for clean energy projects; the two biggest being the Tesla Gigafactory expansion in Storey County and Redwood Materials for lithium battery recycling.
This, in turn, generated over $9 billion in private investment commitments with the potential for over 10,000 new jobs in Northern Nevada. All this is in jeopardy if the IRA is repealed.
Second is $96 million allocated to Nevada for home energy rebates across the state, with additional funding available for low-income households. This would enable low and middle-income folks to save on their energy bills by insulating their homes, installing energy-efficient appliances and using heat pumps to heat and cool their homes.
This, too, has been paused by Trump. Mark Amodei co-signed a letter asking the House Ways and Means Committee to keep the tax credits. But he needs to do more. Call him at 775-586-5760; thank him for his letter but make it clear that he needs to do more for Northern Nevada’s economy and our environment.
Chas Macquarie
Carson City