U.S. clean-energy companies are heading to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to urge Republican lawmakers to preserve tax credits from President Biden’s climate law. Hundreds of industry representatives from solar, wind, and other renewable sectors will highlight their role in job creation, investment, and lowering electricity costs.
Despite Republican districts benefiting from Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—with over half of new clean-energy projects located there—the sector faces uncertainty. Former President Trump has pledged to scale back the IRA, pausing wind projects and freezing clean-energy funding. Some Republicans have introduced legislation to repeal parts of the bill, but over a dozen GOP House members have urged party leaders to protect tax incentives that fuel economic growth in their districts.
Congress could use reconciliation to pass changes without Democratic support, just as Biden did to enact the IRA. Industry trade groups, including the Solar Energy Industries Association and the U.S. Green Building Council, are leading the lobbying effort. Meetings are planned with Republicans who previously supported tax credits, including Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York.
More than 1,800 companies, including EDF Renewables, Sunnova, and Qcells, have urged lawmakers to preserve incentives, warning that repeal would lead to job losses and offshore relocations. “Businesses have relied on these tax policies to invest, hire, and innovate,” companies wrote in a letter to Congress. “Repeal will force many to cut staff or move operations abroad.”
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