Areas of the U.S. that once hosted coal mines and fossil fuel power plants are now turning to #CleanEnergy. Among the challenges posed by the transition to zero-carbon energy is the fate of “energy communities” that had historically depended on coal, oil, or gas industries. Such regions represent 18.6% of the U.S. population. However, since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), they have received 36.8% of all clean energy investment nationwide, according to findings from Rhodium Group and Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. It adds up to $37 billion in #investment for energy communities in one year. This trend is spurned on by incentives in the IRA, which are intended to leverage clean energy development to rejuvenate “energy community” economies and provide a pathway to the green economy for former coal, oil, and gas workers. As these areas turn to #renewables, it may mark a shift in middle America’s views on clean energy. To read more, visit: https://lnkd.in/gPPUQ_XG #energy #cleanpower #solar #wind #oilandgas #energycommunities #IRA #fossilfuels #netzero #alternativeenergy
