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Growth of US Renewable Energy Boosted by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

A new report from the nonprofit Climate Central shows staggering growth in clean energy sources, especially solar and wind, over the past decade. Since 2014, renewables like solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass have grown, now accounting for 22 percent of the United States’ electricity, with solar and wind energy as the fastest growing sectors. Now, that growth must continue to accelerate to reach President Biden’s climate goals of having economy-wide emissions by 2030 and using 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. Implementation of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will be one key to achieving those milestones, including its provisions like expanding tax credits for manufacturing and installing photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. The law allows energy developers to claim tax credits equivalent to 30% of the installation cost. But IRA will need to be supported with additional smart policies as well. Check out the NewDEAL Forum’s latest reports on making the most of federal clean energy funding for examples of how state and local governments can make the most of this moment by harnessing innovation and emerging technology, accelerating the transition to electric vehicles, modernizing the electric grid, and more.

ICYMI: NewDEALers Celebrate the Ongoing Impact of the American Rescue Plan Act

In a pair of op-eds, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan and NewDEAL Leader and Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks highlighted the ongoing impact of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Signed into law three years ago, ARPA brought immediate relief to over 8 million Americans, prevented homelessness, achieved historic lows in child poverty rates, and helped create nearly 14 million jobs. Often overlooked is the long term impact of the law, particularly through the state and local recovery funds that continue to empower leaders to address their communities’ needs. Brinks shared Michigan’s efforts to strategically invest in initiatives like Small Business Support Hubs and expanding childcare programs. Elsewhere, the funds have brought better broadband access to Phoenix, public safety improvements to Cleveland, and affordable housing to communities like Manchester, NH and Kansas City, MO. Check out our latest post in Medium for more leader reactions to the results of the law and why Bultan emphasizes ARPA as a model policy during times of economic crisis.

NewDEALers in the Spotlight

North Carolina Gets Justice for Survivors of Sexual Assault

This week, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein announced that his office has successfully cleared the state’s backlog of untested sexual assault kits. These kits, which are used to provide evidence of rape and sexual assault, can be used to document DNA and make arrests in cases that have gone cold. North Carolina once led the nation with the most significant backlog of nearly 16,000 untouched kits, but under Stein’s leadership, the state has already been able to identify DNA from 5,000 cases and make 114 arrests. “None of us wanted to shy away from an ugly reality,” Stein said of working with this data. “There were 16,000 of these kits and each one of those 16,000 kits came from 16,000 people. Each person deserves our level best efforts to get them justice.” To avoid another backlog going forward, North Carolina lawmakers have passed bipartisan legislation establishing a new submission process for kits and funds to streamline the testing of evidence.