Jack Stevens: The GOP’s Myopic Rejection of Clean Energy

Republicans in Congress seem determined to squelch clean energy projects even when they benefit their own districts and states.

The energy portion of the House budget bill, now in the Senate, lays waste to most green power tax breaks implemented in 2022 through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It is likely that the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee will follow along with the House and eliminate $20 billion in financing for clean energy projects like battery production and a $3 billion grant program for underserved communities resisting climate change.

The irony is that most of the IRA funds are being used to good effect in red states. According to a US Department of Energy database, for example, IRA green projects have led to over 11,000 new jobs and $12.5 billion in investments in the red state of Ohio.

We believe that the GOP’s war against clean energy is a mistake. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that energy demand will rise to 4,201 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) this year and 4,244 billion kWh in 2026, from a record 4,097 billion kWh in 2024. We simply need more electricity, regardless of how it is generated.