Michael Rucker, Scout’s CEO, goes to Washington to Protect Renewable Energy Jobs

With the House voting in favor of gutting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), clean energy tax credits and other investments that are driving America’s biggest economic boom in decades, Scout CEO Michael Rucker joined the Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) and its members on Capitol Hill to make sure lawmakers understand how this misguided plan could impact businesses, investments and jobs across the country.  E2 is a national, nonpartisan group of business leaders, investors and others who advocate for smart policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment.

Michael spoke at a press conference at the Capitol that featured Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49), Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) along with clean energy workers, The League of Conservation Voters (LCV), Climate Power, Clean Energy for America, and Rewiring America.

Michael Rucker, CEO of Scout Clean Energy said, “I’ve been in this industry for more than 25 years now, and during that time we’ve rarely, if ever, had a consistent policy framework that allowed us to plan and build projects like we are about to embark on now. The IRA gives us the longest time horizon for planning than we’ve ever had, allowing us to bring jobs to communities across the country.”

The IRA includes $370 billion in clean energy tax credits and investments that is turbocharging America’s clean energy transition while reducing carbon emissions which are driving climate change. Just since the law was passed in August, there have been more than 150 clean energy projects, more than $75 billion in private-sector investments, and 65,000 jobs announced across 34 states.

Rucker and other E2 members from California, Washington state, and elsewhere met with seven members of Congress, including three Republican offices, to show them the true value of these game changing policies, regardless of political party.

As E2’s Bob Keefe put it, “We’re in the middle of the biggest economic boom in generations because Congress last year finally got America in the game in the global clean energy revolution. Now some members of Congress are doing their best to roll back the very policies that are driving billions of dollars in investments and tens of thousands of jobs? It just doesn’t make sense.”