ENVIRONMENT Advocates say Houston is ‘ground zero’ for federal law’s environmental gains
in with the NEW!
BY JISHNU NAIR
Also included in the law are incentives for transitioning to electric vehicles through the construction of charging stations and tax credits for electric vehicle purchases. Luke Metzger, the executive director for nonprofit Environment Texas, said the bill’s electrification provisions will synergize with local efforts to transition to electric vehicles, such as the nonprofit Evolve Houston’s road map. “Under the leadership of Mayor [Sylvester] Turner and some of his predecessors, Houston has been working to transition towards clean energy,” Metzger said. “And this bill has the potential for some pretty significant investment in changing course on those issues.” The Houston-Galveston Area Council—a metropolitan planning organization responsible for coordinating funding distribution to local governments in the Houston area—said via a spokesperson to Community Impact Newspaper it was too soon to comment on a timeline of impact but the council was “excited” for the possibilities of the bill. “H-GAC is still in the process of learning more about all the provisions of the recently-passed Inflation Reduction Act, new funding opportunities and how it might benefit existing programs and services we provide for the region,” the H-GAC’s statement said. “We’re excited about the possibilities and opportunities this new legislation will bring to help improve the lives of residents and help our region continue growing strongly.” Ilana Williams contributed to this report. • Incentives for transitioning to electric vehicles • $3 billion in block grants for environmental justice, including communities disproportionally affected by pollution • Coverage of 50%-100% of costs for lower-income families to install newer, cleaner appliances • $66.5 billion investment in clean power generation and job creation • Tax credit incentives for electricity co-op providers
Houston-area environmental advocates and experts said the region can benefit from over $350 billion in climate, energy security and environmental provisions granted in the recently signed $750 billion federal Inflation Reduction Act—the largest amount given to climate and environmental protection in history. President Joe Biden signed the bill into law Aug. 16. Houston-area Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, who serves the Heights; while those opposing include Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, covering Spring. Both congressional representatives who voted for the bill include Texas senators, Republicans Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, opposed the bill. According to a White House fact sheet, improvements targeted at Texas include the coverage of 50%-100% of costs for lower-income families to install newer, cleaner appliances; a $66.5 billion investment in clean power generation and job creation; and tax credit incentives for electricity co-op providers, which serve 2.5 million customers in the state. Jennifer Hadayia, director of the Houston advocacy nonprofit Air Alliance Houston, said the Houston area is “ground zero” for environmental protection opportunities in the law. “The Inflation Reduction Act has the potential for massive public health investments in Houston,” Hadayia said. “It will take some time to see what that direct local impact will be. But big picture overarching, we are ground zero for these [environmental] issues.” Environmental effects President Joe Biden signed a $750 billion bill into law Aug. 16 called the Inflation Reduction Act, which will provide climate, energy security and environmental provisions. The law has several provisions that could impact Texas. SOURCE: WHITE HOUSE/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
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KATY EDITION • SEPTEMBER 2022
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