Inflation Reduction Act: Climate and Energy Progress and Opportunities

Background:

The American University Center for Environmental Policy, the Security and Sustainability Forum, the National League of Cities, ICMA and the World Resources Institute are proud to convene “Climate and Energy Progress and Opportunities,” a second annual symposium on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

With nearly $369 billion in direct investment and billions of dollars in tax incentives, the IRA is the largest U.S. federal commitment to domestic energy security, renewable energy development and deployment, and climate change mitigation to date. Taken together with the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and other federal initiatives, the IRA presents an unprecedented opportunity for climate action.

Eighteen months after the enactment of the IRA in August 2022, federal agencies continue to update and implement policies and programs to fulfill the promise of the IRA. Local, state, tribal and non-profit organizations are working tirelessly to pursue federal funding and support to develop projects to advance their climate resiliency and sustainability goals.

The symposium will focus on the role of local and state governments at the frontline of climate change in developing and implementing IRA-funded projects. The event will explore the ways in which remote, rural, and historically disenfranchised communities are working towards a clean energy transformation along with climate mitigation as well as how urban communities are seeking climate resilience.

The goals of the symposium are to present considerations for regulators to address the needs of frontline communities and to offer promising practices that communities can use in advancing their climate, energy and economic goals.