2-year anniversary of Inflation Reduction Act offered opportunity to highlight the law’s potential for implementing climate solutions

As the summer came to a close and the fall season began, it offered an important opportunity to mark the 2-year anniversary of the single largest investment in climate solutions in U.S. history: the Inflation Reduction Act. 

To celebrate this momentous occasion, PennEnvironment hosted and participated in a series of events across the state to educate Pennsylvania about the far-reaching benefits that the Inflation Reduction Act offers for tackling climate change. 

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, State Senator Amanda Cappelletti, and State Rep. Greg Vitali join PennEnvironment and Solarize Delco at Temple Lutheran Church to tour the church’s rooftop solar panels.Photo by TPIN | TPIN

This included working with religious leaders to host tours for members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation of local houses of worship that have gone solar, since the Inflation Reduction Act offers significant tax breaks for the first time ever to churches that want to add solar arrays to their roofs or property. 

In Pittsburgh, we partnered with the Crafton Heights Presbyterian Church to tour their rooftop solar array with local Congresswoman Summer Lee, while in the Philadelphia suburbs we joined up with Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown to host a similar tour for Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon and other local elected leaders like State Senator Amanda Cappelletti and State Representative Greg Vitali. 

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, State Senator Amanda Cappelletti join PennEnvironment and Solarize Delco at Temple Lutheran Church to tour the church’s rooftop solar panelsPhoto by TPIN | TPIN

Across the state in Erie, PA we joined with the Climate Action Campaign to participate in an Inflation Reduction Act news conference at Presque Isle State Park along the shores of Lake Erie. We were joined by the City of Erie’s Mayor Joe Schmeber, Erie County Council member Rock Copeland and others. 

The event included an electric RV, to highlight the significant tax rebates for both new and used electric vehicles for Pennsylvanians considering a new, clean car or truck for their family. 

PennEnvironment Executive Director David Masur speaks at a press conference in Erie, PA alongside Erie Mayor Joe Schember, President Biden’s National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, the Erie County Housing Authority, the Erie Redevelopment Authority, and the Climate Action CampaignPhoto by Jeff Swensen | Used by permission

This was followed up by a home tour in the Manayunk neighborhood of northwest Philadelphia where PennEnvironment joined with U.S. EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz and local Pennsylvania State Representative Tarik Khan to tour the home of Liz and Paul. The retired couple demonstrated their newly installed heat pump water heater to highlight the rebates available through the Inflation Reduction Act for this climate-friendly appliance upgrade.

PennEnvironment Deputy Director Flora Cardoni . Flora was joined by EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz, PA State Rep. Tarik Khan, DOE, Rewiring America and Climate Power, at the home of Liz and Paul who recently installed a heat pump water heater thanks to the IRA.Photo by TPIN | TPIN

And to stick with the fall “back to school” theme, PennEnvironment joined local leaders and Superintendent Brian Polito from the Erie’s Public Schools to hold a news conference to announce the school district’s recent grant of $4.1 million to purchase clean, electric school buses for the district’s school bus fleet. 

Photo by Don Mroczkowski | Used by permission

Signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act will go down in history as the single largest investment in the fight against climate change to date–and the largest single investment of its kind in the world. 

Now it’s time to make sure that Pennsylvanians and Americans know the program’s full potential, and are taking advantage of the incentives offered in the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce their carbon footprint at home and at work–and even at their places of worship–to help protect our planet from climate change. 

Rep. Summer Lee celebrates rooftop solar!Photo by TPIN | TPIN