Vice President Kamala Harris visited Seattle’s McKinstry, a green construction company, to highlight the push for clean energy. The visit, coinciding with the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, aimed to promote funding programs and incentives to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. Accompanied by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, and US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Vice President Harris emphasized the urgency of moving away from fossil fuels in light of the recent wildfires in Maui and the extreme heat experienced in Washington.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which Vice President Harris helped push through Congress in 2022 with a tie-breaking vote, is a 10-year investment plan that aims to expand solar and wind energy production, lower energy costs, and increase the adoption of electric vehicles. The legislation offers incentives to both for-profit and non-profit organizations to switch to clean energy, while also providing support for homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades to their homes. Homeowners can receive up to $3,200 annually to lower the cost of such upgrades by up to 30%.
Vice President Harris also acknowledged that previous efforts to transition to clean energy have not reached everyone, particularly those who live far away from solar plants and wind farms. To address this issue, the Biden-Harris administration plans to build thousands of miles of new high-voltage transmission lines.
The move towards clean energy is not only beneficial for the environment but also predicted to create jobs. Vice President Harris cited the Inflation Reduction Act as contributing to the creation of 400,000 new jobs in Washington state.
In summary, Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to McKinstry in Seattle emphasized the importance of transitioning to clean energy. The Inflation Reduction Act offers funding and incentives to support this transition for organizations and homeowners alike. By expanding solar and wind energy production, lowering energy costs, and promoting the use of electric vehicles, the aim is to create millions of clean-energy jobs while rebuilding America’s manufacturing industry. The legislation also addresses the challenge of ensuring clean energy reaches all communities, including the construction of new high-voltage transmission lines. Overall, the visit highlighted the urgency and opportunity to move towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.
