ACORE Statement on President Biden’s State of the Union Address

Statement From Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE):

“President Biden once again showed his strong commitment to America’s clean energy transition tonight. While much remains to be done, with the enactment of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we now have a clear pathway toward the clean energy future that American people want, and climate scientists say we desperately need. The legislation’s landmark clean energy tax platform is expected to accelerate U.S. renewable energy development, create hundreds of thousands of good-paying American jobs, and drive a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

“According to a new analysis out this week, more than 100,000 clean energy jobs have already been announced in 31 states in just the few months since the passage of the IRA last August. Here at ACORE, we project that investment in renewable generation and enabling technologies will accelerate from the current $50-$60 billion annually to $90-$100 billion annually, putting us on the path toward achievement of our national climate goals.

“But there are important challenges along the way. The renewable growth empowered by the IRA will only occur if we enhance and expand the nation’s electrical transmission network, which is inefficient, balkanized and antiquated in much of the country. We need a 21st century grid that is better able to withstand increasingly frequent severe weather events and can efficiently move power from America’s richest renewable resource areas to the population centers with the greatest electricity demand.

“The renewable sector has been helping to drive national economic growth for many years now, but we know that we have much more to do to meet the climate challenge. ACORE and its members stand ready to work with the Biden administration and congressional leaders on the steps and policies needed to fully realize America’s clean energy potential.”

About ACORE:

For more than 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s premier pan-renewable nonprofit organization. ACORE unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy. For more information, please visit www.acore.org.

Media Contact:

Alex Hobson
Sr. Vice President, Communications
American Council on Renewable Energy
hobson@acore.org | 202.777.7584 (o) | 202.594.0706 (c)