WASHINGTON, DC – Two years ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate action and clean energy in world history. Key to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, this transformative law is lowering energy costs, creating new income streams, and tackling the climate crisis. The Inflation Reduction Act has given the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) historic resources to better serve communities nationwide.
“Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden-Harris Administration ushered in a new era of innovation, prosperity for rural communities, and climate preparedness,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The historic resources it provided have helped USDA meaningfully improve the lives of every American by lowering energy costs, reducing wildfire risk, and bringing more farmers into our high-demand conservation programs, and more.”
Combined with President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, American Rescue Plan, and other investments already underway, the Inflation Reduction Act makes a once-in-a-generation investment that supports rural communities and their infrastructure needs, while adapting to the climate crisis and creating better health outcomes for rural communities. Across USDA programs, the Inflation Reduction Act increases access to lower-cost clean energy, and climate-smart agriculture and conservation while creating good paying jobs. The legislation also protects communities from the increasing risks of wildfires and extreme heat.
These investments are contributing to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Building a Clean Energy Future
USDA is making the largest single investment in rural electrification since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. In 2023, USDA made $13.2 billion available to build electrification infrastructure in rural America with clean, affordable, reliable energy and enhance the quality of life in rural communities. USDA is deploying this funding to ensure communities have access to clean energy that lowers their energy costs and generates new income.