The Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic investment package on Thursday, aimed at supporting America’s energy and industrial communities. The move comes as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and address climate change.
The package includes a range of measures designed to boost the country’s energy and industrial sectors, including investments in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development. Speaking at a press conference, Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized the importance of the package for the country’s economic recovery and long-term growth.
The package includes $100 billion in funding for clean energy research and development, aimed at accelerating the deployment of renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar power. The funding will also support research into new technologies, such as advanced battery storage, carbon capture, and hydrogen production.
Another key element of the package is $50 billion in funding for advanced manufacturing, aimed at boosting domestic production and reducing reliance on imports. The funding will be used to support the development of advanced materials, semiconductors, and other key manufacturing sectors.
The package also includes $40 billion in funding for workforce development, aimed at training workers for jobs in the energy and industrial sectors. The funding will support apprenticeships, job training programs, and other initiatives designed to prepare workers for the transition to a clean energy economy.
In addition to the funding, the package includes a range of policy measures aimed at promoting clean energy and reducing carbon emissions. These include tax incentives for clean energy investments, new regulations to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, and a plan to install 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations across the country by 2030.
The announcement was welcomed by a range of stakeholders in the energy and industrial sectors, who praised the administration for its commitment to addressing climate change and boosting domestic production.
“We are thrilled to see this historic investment in clean energy and advanced manufacturing,” said Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy. “These investments will create good-paying jobs, strengthen our economy, and position America as a leader in the global transition to a clean energy future.”
The package is expected to face significant opposition from Republicans in Congress, who have criticized the administration’s efforts to address climate change as job-killing regulations. However, the administration is confident that the package will ultimately be passed, given the growing public support for clean energy and the need to address the impacts of climate change.
“We are committed to working with Congress to get this package passed,” Harris said. “This is not a partisan issue, it’s an American issue. We need to invest in our energy and industrial sectors if we want to create a stronger, more prosperous, and more sustainable future for all Americans.”