Passing the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was just a start—now we must invest deeply in accelerating implementation of the IRA’s benefits in order to realize its full potential.

ACE’s IRA Accelerator launched in November 2022 to accelerate: 1) the siting and permitting of utility-scale renewables, 2) the uptake of the retail-side benefits of the IRA for consumers, and 3) the transition of workers into the clean economy. A year in, we have successfully engaged more than 25 million under-reached Americans and completed more than a dozen field experiments to ensure our approach is working.

Unfortunately, a tsunami of disinformation continues to derail counties and townships across the United States from approving utility-scale renewable energy projects, delaying consumer uptake of the retail-side benefits of the IRA, and standing in the way of state-based ambition to pass 100% clean energy legislation. The vast majority of proposed utility-scale clean energy projects are in rural zip codes and Republican-held districts.

At the same time, just a third of the American public knows that the IRA has been enacted into a law. In order to protect the IRA and maximize its benefits, we must also work quickly to socialize the consumer-facing benefits of the IRA to average Americans.

As we celebrate the first year of impact of the IRA Accelerator, we set our eyes on dramatically scaling this work into 2024 and beyond. Join us.

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.