By Mitch Coppes, Federal Government Relations Manager, Goodwill Industries International
August 16th marks the two-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the wide-ranging package of climate, tax, and health care legislation that was signed into law in 2022. Specifically, the climate and energy provisions of the IRA created new opportunities to support the development of renewable energy sources, speed up the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), and deploy energy efficiency technologies in communities across the country.
In conjunction with the anniversary, the Biden Administration released new data on how the IRA’s clean energy tax incentives have aided consumers with making energy efficient and clean technology improvements in their homes. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, more than 750,000 households claimed tax credits in 2023 for residential solar electricity investments, such as rooftop solar panels, and more than 250,000 families claimed investments in electric or natural gas heat pumps. The IRA also includes a range of tax incentives to promote the manufacturing and sales of EVs. The Administration has set a goal of creating a nationwide charging network by 2030 through the construction of at least 500,000 public EV charging stations.
President Biden released a statement on the IRA anniversary in which he noted that more than 330,000 new clean energy jobs have been announced since the bill was signed into law. “Many of these jobs are good-paying, union jobs that do not require a college degree, including electricians, construction workers, and mechanics working on innovative clean energy projects,” said Biden.
The expanding green economy will create new demands for a skilled workforce in fast-growing clean industry sectors. Goodwill® has partnered with Accenture on the Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator™ to help equip job seekers and career advancers with the employability and technical skills needed for good jobs in solar and storage, EV charging infrastructure, and heat pump installation. Participants earn as they learn through intensive, hands-on, competency-based training as well as tailored employment readiness and career placement services. Four Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator locations launched training programs this year in Atlanta, Houston, Nashville and Detroit, with a goal to grow to 20 cities and train 7,000 job seekers by 2030.
In addition, General Motors (GM) will provide grant funding for local Goodwill organizations to invest in workforce training programs for in-demand jobs, including the Goodwill Clean Tech Accelerator. “GM’s support of our skilled trades and clean energy programs helps Goodwill open new doors and strengthens the opportunities we provide to our job seekers,” said Steve Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. Through innovative programs and powerful partnerships, Goodwill is working to build America’s clean tech workforce.
