The Ugly Impacts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Clean Energy, Electricity Costs, Our Environment and More
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The Ugly Impacts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” on Clean Energy, Electricity Costs, our Environment and More
The Inflation Reduction Act undermines the tax credits that have made a clean energy boom nationwide. Under this bill, families’ energy bills will go up around $110 next year, and over $400 per year in the next five. The bill also guts fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that have saved drivers $5 trillion at the pump. It defunds programs that are helping clean up pollution in our schools, and from the dirty diesel trucks and buses that drive through our communities. It even cuts funding to track this harmful air pollution. This bill will make our communities sicker while fossil fuel billionaires get richer.
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Rising unemployment
The Inflation Reduction Act sparked a clean energy boom nationwide, funding over 750 projects big and small. This bill undermines the tax credits that have made this possible, leaving the hundreds of thousands of people employed on those projects without jobs.
The clean energy jobs that this bill destroys are good, family-sustaining jobs. They benefit workers, their families, and communities, and also help advance climate progress nationwide. Without these workers and the services they provide, it will be much more difficult for the U.S. to meet our climate goals.
Higher energy costs
Gutting clean energy tax credits also means that our communities will be forced to rely on expensive, polluting fossil fuels. Energy demand is rising at a historic rate. Undermining clean energy, the fastest and cheapest way to bring new energy online, will ensure there isn’t enough supply – and will jack up energy prices. Under this bill, families’ energy bills will go up around $110 next year, and over $400 per year in the next five.
Along with raising energy costs, the bill also guts fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that have saved drivers $5 trillion at the pump. Without these standards, auto manufacturers will have less incentive to improve their vehicles’ fuel efficiency. Cars will be more expensive to fuel and dangerous emissions from transportation – already the most polluting sector in the country – will jump.
More pollution in our communities
In addition to boosting dirty energy, a new “pay to play” system allows Big Oil and other corporations to jam through massive polluting projects by simply paying a fee to sidestep environmental review and community input. Our communities deserve to have their voices heard when polluting projects are proposed in our neighborhoods. Without these protections, our communities will suffer while wealthy developers pay to break the rules meant to protect our health.
And if that wasn’t enough, the “Big Ugly Bill” also defunds programs that are helping clean up pollution in our schools, and from the dirty diesel trucks and buses that drive through our communities. It even cuts funding to track this harmful air pollution.
This bill will make our communities sicker while fossil fuel billionaires get richer.
Lifesaving programs eliminated
Not only does this bill cut pollution reduction programs, it defunds other lifesaving programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) to pay for tax breaks for billionaires. The bill strips: