Breaking Ground: The Inflation Reduction Act Two Years In

A new report from Climate Jobs National Resource Center examines the Inflation Reduction Act’s potential to transform the clean energy sector, create high-quality union jobs, and advance equity.

Breaking Ground: The Inflation Reduction Act Two Years In includes national and state-level data about the massive number of clean energy projects in the development pipeline across the country that could be eligible for federal clean energy incentives tied to labor standards. The report also contains case studies of union-built projects and testimonials from workers on those projects to showcase the critical role of organized labor in maximizing the impact of historic investments for our climate and workers.

Key Findings

• We find 6,285 utility-scale clean energy projects either planned, under construction, or recently completed across the country that could be eligible for IRA incentives tied to labor standards.
• To maximize their tax credit under the IRA, these projects are required to meet labor standards–prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements–and therefore represent a significant opportunity to boost pay and job quality for clean energy workers across America. 
• These projects are estimated to represent a combined potential of over $2 trillion in investment, 1,091,966 megawatts of clean power, and approximately 3,947,670 jobs. 
• Unions are critical to implementing the IRA in a way that maximizes high-quality job creation, advances equity by training a skilled and inclusive clean energy workforce, and ensures that clean energy projects actually get built in order to meet our climate goals.