I believe in climate change. Destroying the Inflation Reduction Act will harm NY | Opinion
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The Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment to tackle climate change in U.S. history, offering households tax credits and rebates as well as spurring thousands of clean energy jobs in New York state and across the country. Now, as the country faces a debt ceiling default, congressional Republicans are using the looming crisis to dismantle these programs, remove the funding and lose all these good paying jobs.
On April 26, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy pushed a bill that would force a reduction in the federal budget by 14% over the next decade. While Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said it’s dead-on-arrival in the Senate, several members of the New York congressional delegation voted for McCarthy’s ill-advised bill.
They did so even though eliminating funding for groundbreaking clean energy initiatives as part of the debt ceiling negotiations hurts their own constituents. The IRA puts money directly into New Yorkers’ pockets, both from jobs and energy savings, while making our nation more competitive, secure and resilient. Votes should be cast in the best interest of constituents and this vote does the exact opposite.
New York’s 19th, 21st, 22nd, and 17th districts all secured millions in private sector funding for clean energy projects after the IRA passed. Statewide, repealing the legislation threatens $101.5 billion in investments and 13,355 jobs that have already been created in order to support those projects. But Rep. Brandon Williams, Rep. Marc Molinaro, Rep. George Santos, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, and Rep. Elise Stefanik all voted for McCarthy’s bill.
IRA tax credits drove Zinc8 Energy Solutions’ decision to operate a battery plant in New York, bringing 500 jobs to Republican representative Marcus Molinaro’s district. He has touted the project, but voted for McCarthy’s debt ceiling bill, threatening those very jobs.
Molinaro is hardly alone. Before being elected in 2022, Williams met with Micron and pledged to be their partner for the growth and success of Central New York. His district, NY-22, secured an astounding $100 billion from Micron for the construction of their Semiconductor Megafab Facility to manufacture microchips for electric vehicles. The construction of the facility brought 9,000 jobs to the district, and Williams himself sat down with Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrota to discuss the “historic investment” in the area. None of it would have happened without the IRA, but Rep. Williams voted to repeal it anyway.
The Micron project and countless energy-related projects being built because of the IRA don’t just create jobs — they help prevent our nation from falling behind in the global semiconductor market and the race to lead the clean energy economy of the future. Gutting the IRA would make us less secure, less competitive and more reliant on foreign competitors.
Big projects and their job creation are only part of the problem. The IRA offers households up to $14,000 in up-front discounts to switch over to electric appliances. It covers up to 100% of the costs of installing those electric appliances for low-income households, and up to 50% for moderate-income households. And no matter which way you slice it, electric appliances are a more affordable and healthier option for New York’s families.
A recent analysis from RMI found that new all-electric, single-family homes were less expensive to build than homes that relied on gas for cooking, space heating, and water heating. Electric appliances and systems also reduced operating costs once the home or building was constructed. In fact, electrification is predicted to save the average homeowner $904 on energy bills annually. And while residential natural gas heating prices were expected to increase by 34% this winter, electric heating prices were predicted to increase by just 7%.
Not to mention, burning gas in your home is the equivalent of living with a smoker and is a major contributor to childhood asthma.
As the United States nears the June 1 debt ceiling deadline, New York congress members — Republicans and Democrats alike — must remember that their first and only duty is to their constituents. No matter which way you look at it, the climate change funding from the Inflation Reduction Act has made the state healthier, safer and more affordable for all New Yorkers.
Dr. Anna R. Kelles represents the 125th District the New York State Assembly.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Inflation Reduction Act helps NY
