Ohio Celebrates Second Anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act
The landmark climate and clean energy legislation has cut costs for Ohioans, catalyzed significant investment, and positioned the Buckeye State as a leader in job creation
(Columbus, OH) – In 2022, Congress passed historic legislation to address climate change, clean energy, and public health. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provided expansive federal incentives for American-made renewable energy projects, energy-efficient appliances and buildings, and electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. In two years, this landmark legislation has powered the clean energy transition in Ohio, cut costs for families, created thousands of new jobs, and helped reinvigorate local industry and manufacturing.
“Federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act has been transformative for Ohio communities. The projects and job growth we are seeing across the state will reduce emissions and bolster our economy. This is a win-win for Ohio residents,” said Joe Flarida, Executive Director of Power a Clean Future Ohio. “This legislation has helped implement projects that meaningfully reduce emissions, improving the health and wellbeing of communities across the state, and it’s helped position Ohio as a leader in the transition to a clean energy future.”
Since the passage of the legislation, Ohio has been among the states leading the way, with 28 new clean energy projects generating $10.47 billion in investment, per the Climate Power “Clean Energy Boom” Report. Ohio has become a hub for clean energy manufacturing, with major facilities for solar, electric vehicles (EV), batteries, and recycling making their homes in the state. Illuminate USA’s new solar factory in Pataskala will produce over 9 million solar panels each year, Honda and LG’s new $4 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Fayette County will provide thousands of jobs, and Cirba Solutions’ EV battery recycling plant in Lancaster is expected to generate enough material to power 200,000-plus EVs annually.
Ohio has also been a national leader in job creation since the IRA was signed into law. The state has created 13,887 new, good-paying, clean energy jobs with over 11,000 in low-income communities (fifth-highest total by state) and 3,163 new jobs in rural areas (sixth-highest total by state).
Families and households are seeing the benefits of the IRA in their communities and finances. Clean energy tax incentives have helped Ohioans save money while improving home weatherization and efficiency, installing new electric appliances or rooftop solar, and purchasing EVs. Ohioans saved more than $150,000 in 2023 thanks to residential clean energy tax credits and energy efficiency home improvement credits, per the IRS.
Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO), a nonprofit organization working directly with local governments to create and implement carbon reduction plans, has helped communities across the state secure significant federal resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and IRA. Through direct technical support, grant writing, and project management, PCFO has helped local governments secure approximately $290,700,000 in BIL and IRA funding.
“Power a Clean Future Ohio is committed to helping Ohio’s governments leverage federal resources available through the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Deputy Director Cassandra Clevenger. “By helping local leaders identify opportunities to implement clean energy projects and reduce emissions, we can improve community health outcomes, charge economic development, bolster resilience, and build a sustainable future for Ohio."
PCFO also manages an IRA Resource Hub to connect local governments, businesses, organizations, and residents with resources they need to capitalize on federal incentives available through the legislation. This one-stop shop provides information about the IRA, available funding opportunities, and benefits to homes, places of work, and communities.