Here’s an unsurprising but still disgraceful headline:
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has awarded over $100 billion in grants created by its signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden senior advisor for international climate policy John Podesta said.
The administration hopes the spending milestone will help to continue the deployment of clean energy even after President-elect Donald Trump, a climate change skeptic who has pledged to rescind all unspent IRA funds, takes office.
“Crossing the milestone of $100 billion awarded shows just how quickly we’re getting these funds out the door and into communities so they can make a real difference for the American people,” Podesta told Reuters.
Another senior Biden administration official said the administration is on track to exceed its goal of “obligating” over 80% of available IRA grant funding by the end of Biden’s term next month.
“When funds are obligated, they are protected,” the official told Reuters. “They are subject to the terms of the contract, so when those contracts are signed and executed, this becomes a matter of contract law more than a matter of politics.”
John Podesta is a political operative. This is also the same administration that could only build 8 EV charging stations in two years, suddenly moving at breakneck speed.
We hope Trump can find lawful ways to claw back as much of this money as possible – on day one.