I often think about a factory hallway in Dalton, Georgia, that is filled with pictures drawn by children. It is a reminder of what can be, what will be, thanks to the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which celebrates its second anniversary this month. The drawings capture how these children see their parents who work at a solar manufacturing plant.
There are pictures of beautiful sunny days, of the earth with pristine water. Of their parents saving the world. These children see their parents as superheroes.
As I remember these pictures, I wonder: How can anyone not be inspired by these children to fight every day for a better, livable future? For more clean energy jobs, in big cities and rural communities, that will power our economy, and our homes, for generations to come? Around this anniversary, the news has been filled with reflection on what the IRA has achieved and what still needs to be done. It is, as it should be, a major focal point at the Democratic National Convention happening now in Chicago. You do not have to look hard to find examples of its success.
More than 334,000 new clean energy jobs have been created across the country. More than 3 million households have collectively saved over $8 billion on upgrades that will save them money and make their homes more energy efficient. In Illinois, for example, nearly 140,000 residents claimed more than $260 million in tax credits on their 2023 tax returns for installing solar or making other energy efficiency home im.