“Wind and solar have been part of the GOP’s all-of-the-above energy approach for decades, and Republicans should stand firm on that principle. Stifling the growth of clean energy now, at a critical stage of development, would be petty, foolhardy and destructive.” –Editorial board, The Virginian-Pilot, Newport News, Va., March 7, 2025
“Even if Republicans want to get rid of parts of the IRA, they shouldn’t dump everything, especially the pieces that directly create jobs and bring money into their districts. In one sense, the clean energy tax credits can be seen as supporting Trump’s promise to ‘unleash’ American energy.” –Editorial board, Newsday, Long Island, NY, March 12, 2025
“Shutting out wind and solar makes no sense, and not only because doing so would worsen carbon emissions; it would also restrict energy supplies that the country needs.” –Editorial board, Washington Post, March 29, 2025
“[U.S. Rep. Don Bacon] said in a statement Wednesday the federal government shouldn’t ‘pull the plug on the IRA and then pull the rug out from folks who have invested billions in energy production based on the promise of the IRA.’” –News story, Omaha World-Herald, April 9, 2025
Federal clean energy tax credits are accelerating the move to cheaper, cleaner renewable energy and helping to ensure the energy abundance that promotes energy security and national security. If Congress repeals these tax incentives, our electricity will be costlier, our air will be dirtier, and homegrown clean energy jobs will shrink. Fact: Electricity from wind and solar now costs 60% less than electricity from gas and coal. In addition, repealing the clean electricity investment and production tax credits would raise average U.S. residential electricity prices by nearly 7% by 2026 – equating to an average yearly increase of more than $110 for the average American residential customer.
Preserving these tax credits is a bipartisan issue: 21 Republican Members of Congress, led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino, recently voiced their support in a letter to House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith.
Four Republican U.S. Senators agree. In a recent letter sent to Majority Leader John Thune, Sens. Murkowski, Curtis, Tillis, and Moran said, “A wholesale repeal, or the termination of certain individual credits, would create uncertainty, jeopardizing capital allocation, long-term project planning, and job creation in the energy sector and across our broader economy.”
Federal clean energy investment over the past two and a half years has led to over 400,000 clean energy jobs and over $422 billion in investment across the U.S. And supported by federal policy, over the last ten years, manufacturers have announced 194,600 new U.S. EV-related jobs, and announced EV and battery manufacturing could also generate up to 826,000 additional jobs in indirect/secondary employment, according to an EDF report with WSP USA.
Additionally, the IRA is projected to spur $3.8 trillion in net spending across the U.S. economy, creating a 4x return on taxpayer investment when considering both economic and emissions benefits.
Reporter Mark Harrington at Newsday flagged efforts to protect the wind industry on Long Island, writing, “Earlier this month, a contingent of Republican congressmen led by Rep. Andrew Garbarino, of Bayport, wrote a letter to the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, requesting that a pending House spending bill keep ‘on our current path to energy dominance amid efforts to repeal or reform current energy tax credits.’”
Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia Beach is standing strong for the wind energy fueling her district, prompting Julia Pendleton of the Southeastern Wind Coalition to note, “Virginia imports the most energy of any state in the country. I think any energy source that we can produce locally, like offshore wind, is vitally important, given the demand increases that we expect over the next decade.”
Solar United Neighbors Action recently joined forces with allies including Great Plains Renewables and the Archdiocese of Omaha to ensure Omahans know their electricity costs could spike if tax credits are repealed. The press conference was covered by local TV stations including ABC affiliate KETV 7 Omaha.
In the Southwest, Steve Zylstra, president of the Arizona Technology Council, weighed in in an op-ed at the Arizona Daily Star. U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani of Tucson is a signatory on letters to Speaker Johnson and Ways and Means Chair Smith asking that clean energy tax incentives be protected.