California Construction News staff writer
After two years of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), California has received billions of dollars for climate and clean energy projects — creating thousands of good paying jobs.
California is tracking many of these projects on build.ca.gov, which now features a new checklist to help projects build with equity in mind.
“Over the past two years, California has experienced countless climate extremes – going from record drought to record rains in a matter of weeks, historic heat waves, and massive wildfires,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “The Inflation Reduction Act couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time, bringing billions of dollars in investments to California, creating thousands of green jobs and cutting costs for Californians.”
Here’s how California has benefited from the Inflation Reduction Act:
- $1.6 billion in tax breaks to boost energy efficiency in homes in 2023
- $600 million to provide clean and efficient energy upgradesto low and moderate income households
- $500 million from the US EPA to reinforce California’s fight against the climate crisis and to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution
- Up to $450 million for the state’s green banks to deliver accessible financing to clean energy projects throughout California, mobilize private capital, and deploy key climate solutions in low-income and disadvantaged communities
- $249 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency for low-income solar programs
- $200 million from the US Environmental Protection Agency for environmental and climate justice efforts to increase underserved community capacity and resilience
- $168 million to add 2,600 electric vehicle charging stations in rural and disadvantaged areas across the state, and over $63 million to upgrade existing EV charging infrastructure
- $103 million from the USDA for maintaining urban trees, forests, and green spaces
- $92 million from the USDA to support agricultural producers and rural small businesses in implementing renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements
- $70 million available to help accelerate restoration of the Salton Sea
- $60 million from the USDA to invest in on-the-ground conservation activities implemented by farmers, ranchers and forest landowners
- $21 million from the US DOI and US DOE to bolster tribal climate resilience and home electrification
- 14,000 jobs created through investments in Caltrain and California’s High Speed Rail
