In 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law–marking the boldest piece of climate policy in US history. The legislation unlocks $370 billion in climate and clean energy investments with the potential to create 9 million jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 40% within the next six years.

ACE quickly launched the IRA Accelerator program to reach tens of millions of Americans in communities both inside and outside the climate movement echo chamber to popularize IRA benefits, catalyze investments and soften the ground for clean energy projects through:

Siting, permitting and build out of utility-scale clean energy, Socialization, popularization and ultimately adoption of the IRA’s consumer-facing benefits, and Just transition of fossil energy workers into the clean energy economy.

Since November 2022, ACE has reached nearly 32M people in communities across the country to accelerate clean energy adoption, popularize clean energy jobs, and soften the ground for strategic clean energy projects. We unleashed social media content creators using winning messages through #RenewOurGrid, #CoolForTheSummer, and event-jacking the Super Bowl with creative fake EV ads. Across 14 studies (and 40 outcomes), we found that there is an average lift of 15.3 persuasion points (pp) in favorability towards the IRA after viewing ACE IRA Accelerator messaging.

Our work is more important than ever–we must ensure that every American recognizes the momentous climate wins like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—and the millions of clean jobs it will create. We must ensure our leaders hear loud and clear that voters want to keep the provisions in the IRA intact.

1. Strategic Communications and Media

• Leverage smart data and mapping software to target communities that have the most promising capacity for utility-scale clean energy projects, the greatest potential for clean energy jobs, and the largest gaps in consumer uptake of electrification.
• Run large-scale, measurable persuasion campaigns to inoculate and educate community members in these areas about the economic incentives and community benefits of decarbonization.
• Run smart, localized field campaigns to support local governments and voters with the information they need to apply for federal dollars locally, green-light utility-scale renewables, and maximize individual and community decarbonization benefits.
• Use storytelling to tell the stories of young people, and voters of all ages, who have benefited directly from decarbonization and the IRA in their communities.

2. Local Organizing

• Mobilize our 1.1 million Youth Action Network members to show up, testify, conduct petition drives, educate leaders, tell their stories, and ultimately advocate to advance new utility-scale renewables in their communities.
• Educate local elected officials about the community benefits of utility-scale renewables, building and home electrification, and transportation electrification solutions.
Partner deeply with a constellation of local, regional, and national partners on shared goals to close the gap in public awareness and support for decarbonization in rural America.

3. Diverse Participation in Our Democracy

• Register, educate and turn out diverse youth voters up and down the ballot through both 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) voter engagement programs.
Ensure leaders who reflect the values of our movement are empowered to expeditiously implement the IRA locally.