The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has benefited rural communities in Wisconsin. It must be kept intact.

As a teenager in the early 1970s, I recall listening to evening news broadcasts that
featured smog reports, along with stories about nearby lakes and streams which
pollution had rendered unfit for wildlife—and for humans. Responding to the urgency of
that time, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle passed the Clean Air and
Water Acts, created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and began 50 years of
progress. These laws and the regulations that came with them required the clean-up of
industrial processes, reduced auto emissions, and more energy efficiency. Our natural
environment today is better because of it.

President Trump has never supported policies related to environmental stewardship, let
alone climate change. His actions since taking office were expected, but not at the
speed and scale we are seeing. He is reneging on federal grants and loans for clean
energy projects appropriated by Congress in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA); firing
federal workers in the EPA, the Department of Energy, NOAA and more; and purging
any mention of climate change from government websites. It’s as if his goal is to take
us back 50 years to the pollution of my boyhood days.

President Trump’s approach amounts to a colossal strategic mistake for our country. As
he and his loyal staff decimate our clean energy investments, European and Asian
nations—particularly China–watch with glee. They realize the US is ceding our
chance to be a leader in the clean energy economy of the future. The drill-baby-drill
mantra is catchy for some, but the facts are indisputable that burning fossil fuels is
harmful to human health. And there is no question that the severity and number of
extreme weather events is rising, shattering lives, and costing hundreds of billions of
dollars to clean-up and re-build. These are not Democratic or Republican issues; they
affect us all and we should be motivated to address them instead of burying our future
in fossil fuels.

You may wonder, “What can I do?” Contact your Congressional representatives and tell
them that the IRA should be left intact, especially the tax credits for clean energy. The
IRA has incentivized hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy and manufacturing
investments, 80% of which have flowed to “red” states. In Wisconsin, investments
have been made in over 40 clean energy and manufacturing facilities totaling over $3.2
billion dollars. In my rural congressional district alone, represented by US Rep. Derrick
Van Orden, there are 9 projects totaling $1.5 billion in investments, most of which is
attributed to the Vista Sands solar project; on top of this Dairyland Power received a
$580 million Empowering Rural America (ERA) grant for clean energy projects. Another
87 projects totaling $16.5 million have enabled clean energy projects like solar arrays
for farmers, rural businesses and communities. And this doesn’t include the 30% tax
credits these projects would also have filed for. Over 90 projects in less than two years
benefiting our rural community: These are investments to be taken seriously.

Rather than labeling clean energy projects as “the green new scam”, the Trump
administration should embrace them as a key component of achieving “American
energy dominance.” To meet the rapid growth in energy demand to boost domestic
manufacturing and to help power AI and data centers, clean energy must be a part of
the solution.

The best way your legislators can serve you, is to act in a bipartisan manner, especially
when it comes to the environment. Like 50 years ago, urgent action is needed. Future
generations of Americans depend on it.