Two years after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which allocates $369 billion to bolster energy security and combat climate change, Nevada is the top state in securing federal funding.
According to a report from the sustainability think tank RMI, the Silver State has claimed 54 percent of its potential IRA funding, the highest in the nation.
States have accessed about seven percent of the funds available under the act. However, Nevada’s aggressive pursuit of clean energy projects has placed it far ahead of other states, such as Connecticut, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Georgia, which have secured more than 13 percent of their potential IRA dollars.
“I was impressed to see that data as well,” said Dwayne McClinton, director of the Governor’s Office of Energy.
Despite Governor Joe Lombardo’s focus on energy security through traditional sources like gas, McClinton emphasized that Nevada is seizing opportunities in clean energy.
“If there’s a benefit to Nevadans, why not take advantage of it? Let’s not let politics get in the way of that,” McClinton said.
Nevada’s success in securing IRA funds mirrors a broader trend of clean energy investments in states that aren’t traditional Democratic strongholds. Republican-led states like Wyoming, West Virginia, and Louisiana have also seen high per-capita investments in clean energy, showing a bipartisan embrace of funding opportunities.
Jacob Corvidae, senior principal at RMI and the co-author, pointed out that states with the most significant clean energy projects are reaping benefits from the IRA. Nevada’s large-scale projects, like utility overhauls and renewable energy investments, have contributed to its substantial share of the federal funds.
With the IRA’s funding program running through 2032, other states may have a chance to catch up as smaller-scale projects, such as electric vehicle adoption and home energy efficiency upgrades, receive funding.
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