'Climate change is barging down the door in the American West'

Suzanne Potter
27 Oct 2021, 15:38 GMT+10

CARSON CITY, Nevada - As Democrats work feverishly for a deal on the bipartisan infrastructure bill and the reconciliation bill, groups working to curb the effects of climate change say both are crucial to Nevada's economy.

The Build Back Better reconciliation bill includes billions to promote clean energy and clean transportation.

Kevin Moran, senior director for the Environmental Defense Fund Action, said the Silver State already is suffering the effects of a warming climate, with devastating heat waves, wildfire, and drought - and he insisted the way out is paved with clean-energy jobs.

"Climate change is barging down the door in the American West," he said, "and it's time for us to take on the underlying causes of it in a way that grows our economy."

The Build Back Better agenda includes incentives to increase the number of electric-vehicle charging stations, and the so-called "hard" infrastructure bill includes $4.6 billion for rebuilding aging infrastructure and rural water projects, including $400 million for water-saving programs to protect against drought.

Moran said Nevada, considered by some to be the sunniest state in the nation, is poised to benefit greatly from the solar incentives in the reconciliation bill.

"There's over 30,000 people employed in clean-energy jobs already in Nevada," he said. "Provisions in the Build Back Better agenda would double the number of clean energy jobs in Nevada, adding over 31,000."

President Joe Biden's plan also would invest $2.2 billion in Nevada's energy-efficiency projects and $311 million in projects to modernize the power grid.

Source: Nevada News Service

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