Arizona Votes on Clean Energy: Impacts on Economy and Climate

As votes are cast in Arizona, the 2024 Presidential election will shape America's energy future, impacting jobs and climate.
OPINION: Our economy and our planet are on the line

Article Summary –

The article argues that the 2024 presidential election impacts America’s energy future, highlighting clean energy investments under Biden-Harris. It emphasizes job creation, reduced utility costs, and environmental benefits. Concerns arise over potential reversals by Trump and Congress’s tax credit negotiations, impacting jobs, supply chains, and climate action.


Across Arizona, as votes are cast, the 2024 Presidential election holds the future of American clean energy. This decision impacts pocketbooks, business landscapes, and our planet’s health. Climate change, once an abstract concept, is now a daily reality with record-breaking heat, and the energy we use plays a crucial role.

Amid extreme weather events—like Hurricane Helene and wildfires in California—a silver lining emerges: we can combat pollution and climate change while boosting the economy. Thanks to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s clean energy investments, we can lower utility bills and create millions of good-paying jobs.

Should Harris become president, clean energy projects would progress, with factories set to generate paychecks and rejuvenate communities. This climate law marks the largest investment in clean energy history, positioning America as a leader over competitors like China.

Industrial transformations typically take a decade, akin to the Automobile Age and digital tech evolution. The climate law, with a government-enabled, private sector-led approach, provides long-term clean energy tax credits, encouraging businesses to make bold, long-term decisions.

These policies work. The private sector has announced over $400 billion in clean energy investments, with more than half since the IRA, creating over 400,000 jobs. This economic shift transforms communities from Weirton, WV to Moses Lake, Washington. In 2023, clean energy jobs outpaced the traditional energy sector, growing twice as fast as the overall US job market.

Private companies plan over 800 new or expanded clean energy manufacturing sites, with over 80% of investments in counties with low college graduation rates. This new energy economy offers hope for generational economic prosperity. A decade from now, more will enjoy lower utility bills and healthier air, with less reliance on foreign energy components.

Despite this progress, some still question the current course, especially as Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, favoring wealthy corporations, face scrutiny. Senate Republicans aim to extend these cuts, potentially at the expense of repealing energy tax credits. This decision could threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs and efforts to build domestic supply chains, resulting in dirtier air and water.

America is undergoing a significant energy transformation, providing diverse energy choices, creating quality jobs, and restoring leadership. Imagine a Harris presidency continuing this clean energy transition, strengthening communities, and reducing extreme heat events. On Nov. 5, the decision will reveal if America’s energy future is led by new leadership or hindered by outdated strategies.


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