Begich 3 joins Republicans calling for repealing entire Inflation Reduction Act

Rep. Nick Begich the Third joined about three dozen other Republicans in calling for repealing the entire Inflation Reduction Act and its renewable energy subsidies.

The Alaska Energy Authority describes the IRA this way: “The IRA of 2022 features tax credits for consumers and businesses that save money on energy bills, create jobs, make homes and buildings more energy efficient, utilize clean energy sources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming.”

“The IRA includes over two dozen tax provisions to accelerate the deployment of clean energy, clean vehicles, clean buildings, and clean manufacturing.”

“The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) is tracking IRA opportunities to help Alaskans take full advantage of them, making sustainability more affordable.”

There is disagreement among House Republicans on the merits of the IRA, with those who signed the letter claiming that some members of the party want to preserve some subsidies, instead of getting rid of them all.

“Despite our previously unified stance, some members of our conference now feel compelled to defend wind and biofuel credits, advocate for carbon capture and hydrogen subsidies, or protect solar and electric vehicle giveaways. Keeping even one of these subsidies opens the door to retaining all eight. How do we retain some of these credits and not operate in hypocrisy?” Begich and the other anti-IRA members of Congress said.

Alaskan Zach Brown, a supporter of the IRA, wrote in March in the Anchorage Daily News that Alaska has a great deal to gain from the act and that IRA investments have already benefited many parts of the state.

“Rebates for household electrification—EVs, rooftop solar, home batteries, heat pumps, electric water heaters, and induction stoves—are cutting Alaskans’ energy costs and cushioning against the looming Cook Inlet gas crisis. Alaska received nearly $125 million from the EPA’s Solar for All grant program, spurring rooftop, community, and utility-scale solar projects around the state, benefiting low-income communities and tribes. The Golden Valley Electric Association received $100 million for grid updates to accommodate solar and battery storage, while the economic development organization Southeast Conference received $40 million for heat pump deployment. These are just a tiny preview of the massive investments Alaska could see from the IRA’s uncapped incentives.”

Begich would put a stop to all of those programs, according to the letter, which claims that renewable energy subsidies are an impediment to energy dominance. He suggests there are no subsidies for “dependable, proven energy like coal and natural gas.”