This week, President Joe Biden passed a monumental climate law, setting the country on course to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The legislation includes several major investments in clean energy, much of it directed to areas of the country with lower average incomes.
The $2 trillion climate plan, known as the American Jobs Plan, is expected to create more than three million jobs in the clean energy sector. Many of those jobs are expected to go to disadvantaged communities. The plan also includes $100 billion for investments in green infrastructure, much of it specifically targeted at underserved areas.
The waves of clean energy spending can be seen across the United States. In Maryland, funds will be used to refurbish homes in affected areas. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has announced the $73 million Solar for All program, which aims to direct 10 percent of solar energy spending and development to lower-income areas.
Analysts have long pointed to the special concerns of lower-income communities when it comes to climate change. It is in these areas that the risk of extreme weather is particularly pronounced, and the costs associated with energy efficiency and renewables can pose a considerable barrier.
As such, Biden’s plan to direct clean energy funds to these areas amounts to a much-needed investment in climate justice. Groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have long advocated for equity in this regard, and Biden’s plan may well be a step in that direction.
What remains to be seen is how the funds allocated in Biden’s climate law will ultimately be put to use. But with much of the money earmarked for the communities that need it the most, there is a good chance of a swift and equitable transition to a zero-carbon future.
Whether this comes to pass remains to be seen, but the commitment to clean energy from the White House is a sign that the United States of America is at last taking ambitious action to combat climate change.
