New climate law brings economic benefits but little political credit

The Inflation Reduction Act is creating jobs and investment, yet its supporters are not seeing much political gain, particularly in key races like Ohio's Senate contest.

Dan Gearino reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

• The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has supported multiple clean energy projects, including a new $3.5 billion battery plant in Ohio.
• Local communities benefiting from these projects remain largely unaware of the IRA's role, diminishing the political credit for supporting lawmakers.
• Some factors complicating the narrative include existing plans for the projects and economic issues unrelated to clean energy.

Key quote:

“The results are very clear. Just the plain old numbers and projects have been utterly transformative.”

— Sam Ricketts, co-founder of S2 Strategies

Why this matters:

The disconnect between the economic gains from the IRA and its political reception highlights challenges in communicating climate policy successes, particularly in regions dependent on traditional energy jobs.

Related coverage:

• Red states reap most benefits from climate law they oppose
• Data shows the Inflation Reduction Act boosts US jobs instead of sending them to China
• Exploring the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on America's energy communities