5 days ago
These 5 Republican senators are fighting for clean energy — here's why
Five U.S. senators may determine the future of clean energy growth in the United States.
As the Senate debates whether or not to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, these five senators will have an outsized impact on whether the clean energy boom we've been witnessing over the past several years will slow significantly — and it's hard to overstate the stakes.
Since the IRA was passed in 2022, the U.S. has seen an incredible boom in clean energy production and manufacturing — and with it an industrial renaissance.
If the IRA is repealed as part of the so-called "Big Beautiful Bill," the result will be higher energy prices, a worse economy, and a weaker America.
I researched these five senators' comments and how clean energy is transforming their states. Here's what I learned:
North Carolina has benefited from $23 billion in clean energy manufacturing investments since the IRA passed. If the IRA is repealed, the state could lose 17,500 future jobs. Tillis has warned that an abrupt repeal would create "whiplash" for investors and "devastate" America's ability to stay an innovation leader.
An immediate phaseout, he told The Washington Post, would "have a chilling effect" on "future investments" in the domestic energy sector.
Alaska's electricity prices are 56% higher than average prices in other states. The state relies on diesel fuel shipped in from far away.
Sen. Murkowski sees renewables as a way to reduce energy prices, create jobs, and achieve energy independence.
In a recent press conference, Sen. Murkowski recounted her conversation with Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in which she advocated for renewable projects in Alaska that were in jeopardy because of funding freezes.
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"We're coming to the department and saying, 'I know that you put on pause funding for clean energy resources. If you don't like the vernacular that we're using, that's fine, but look at it from the perspective of energy independence for these small communities and what independence means and looks like for them,'" Murkowski said at the Alaska Infrastructure Development Symposium.
The repeal of the IRA puts a $4 billion Panasonic EV-battery plant in Kansas at risk. The factory is expected to create 4,000 high-paying jobs in Kansas.
Sen. Moran has advocated for an "all of the above" approach to energy policy in America. In a statement to KSHB 41 News, Moran said, "I will support policies, including tax credits that will benefit energy producers in Kansas. … We need more investments in energy production, and tax credits are one way to bring production to the U.S., promote our energy independence, support manufacturing jobs in the U.S. and further investments in domestic energy production."
He was one of four U.S. senators who called for clean energy tax credits to stay in place.
"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," the letter said.
"We urge a targeted, pragmatic approach that balances these priorities without undercutting current and future private-sector investments."
Power prices in Maine have risen by 55% since 2015 — the third fastest in the nation. Developers have proposed 145 renewable projects that could reduce electricity prices, which are expected to bring $8.8 billion in investment, 9,100 jobs, and nearly 5 gigawatts of new generation or storage capacity.
A spokesperson for Collins told the Maine Morning Star, in response to public pressure in the state to come out in support of the IRA incentives, that Collins supports clean energy and that "this issue is one of many the Senate is going to have to consider as it puts together its reconciliation bill."
The IRA has brought $12 billion in announced clean energy investment to Utah since 2022, which could bring 4,200 new jobs across 50 projects.
The IRA repeal would shave $1.34 billion off Utah's GDP and erase 7,300 jobs by 2030. Households would pay $289 million more for energy by 2035.
At a recent visit to a recently opened battery factory in Tooele County, Utah, Sen. Curtis praised clean energy tax credits: "As energy demand continues to grow, we need an all-of-the-above approach that supports Utahns and provides the long-term certainty businesses need to invest and expand," he said.
"In Utah, we've seen firsthand how smart policies — like energy tax credits — can drive innovation, strengthen our economy, and create real opportunity."
Senator Curtis founded the Conservative Climate Caucus as a member of the House of Representatives and hosts the Conservative Climate Summit every year, a gathering of conservatives talking about climate solutions.
Editor's note: If you want to use your voice to make a difference, you can look up how to contact your own state senators here — whether or not (and perhaps especially if not) they appear on this list.
Michael Thomas is the founder of Cleanview, a platform that helps clean energy leaders track the energy transition in real-time, and the author of a newsletter about climate change, Distilled, that has been read by more than 50 million people. Follow Michael on LinkedIn here, where this post appeared in its original form, or subscribe to his newsletter here.
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