Rep. Panetta Highlights Historic Clean Energy Investments in Roundtable with Industry, Labor, and Environmentalists
San Jose, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) convened leaders from the energy sector, labor movement, academia, environmentalists, and more for a roundtable discussion at Evergreen Valley College on the historic investments in clean energy and their transformative impact on our community. Through both the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Rep. Panetta helped usher in significant investments to lower energy costs for families and small businesses, accelerate private investment in clean energy solutions, and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs.
In just one year, the Inflation Reduction Act has spurred $242.81 billion in private investments, largely in building clean energy, leading to the creation of more than 140,000 new jobs. By 2030, more than nine million additional jobs are projected to be created in the clean energy sector thanks to this law. Through this bold legislation, the United States is on track to reduce its carbon output by 44 percent by 2030.
“As a United States Representative, it is my responsibility to ensure that the historic investments made by Congress for our country and its future in clean energy are being implemented at the local level,” said Rep. Panetta. “Through this roundtable, I was able to hear firsthand about the new, innovative initiatives, partnerships, and improvements needed to fully implement our legislation and investments in the 19th Congressional District. I was proud to help author and pass legislation that is the largest investment in clean energy and clean transportation in human history, and I look forward to continuing our work to ensure that its impact is felt in our community and country.”
Joining Rep. Panetta were leaders from Evergreen Valley College, leading companies in the development of clean energy technologies, microgrids, and fuel cells, representatives from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), and California Environmental Voters.
This week, Rep. Panetta will introduce two pieces of bipartisan legislation alongside Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24) to extend clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act for fuel cells and linear generators as well as microgrid controllers to 2033. Extending these tax credits continues the progress that’s already being made in south San Jose, throughout California’s 19th Congressional District, and across the United States.
“We’re grateful to Congressman Panetta for his longtime leadership on energy innovation,” said Mainspring Energy CEO Shannon Miller. “He and his team have excelled in representing homegrown American technology and California jobs in Congress. Monday’s roundtable on energy policy was the sort of constructive and informative discussion among California business and civic leaders that can help advance a thoughtful approach on these issues.”
“We appreciated the opportunity to thank Rep. Panetta for his ongoing leadership and support of the microgrid industry and to provide an update on our California projects that will have a transformational impact for our customers that are investing in clean energy,” said Scale Microgrid Director of Policy and Public Affairs Erica Dahl.
“The Inflation Reduction Act delivered historic funding to support clean energy projects that will ultimately create new union jobs and address climate change,” said Will Smith, IBEW Local 332. “Importantly, the legislation created prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements to tax credits for clean energy to ensure that this new energy future is made by union workers. It was a pleasure joining this candid discussion with Rep. Panetta to discuss the impact that these investments are having on the ground and the work ahead to build a greener energy grid.”
“While the IRA is nothing short of historic, getting these funds out the door and critical projects started has proved to be a challenge. This week’s roundtable highlighted the community’s excitement towards ensuring a just transition that includes good-paying jobs with high workforce standards as we try to meet our climate goals over the next 6 years,” said Aaron McCall, Federal Advocacy Coordinator, California Environmental Voters. “At the same time, it emphasized the urgency for the Biden Administration to expedite implementation and for Congress to protect these popular programs from cuts before we are able to fully implement investments for California families. We’re grateful to have a partner in Representative Panetta as we advocate for a speedy distribution of these funds and tax credits.”
