The “one big beautiful bill” that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4 is set to upend many aspects of American life, including climate policy. The law, which Republicans backed en masse, not only derails the nation’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it could also strike a blow to consumers’ pocketbooks.
From a climate perspective, the legislation’s most significant rollbacks are aimed at industries such as renewable energy, not individuals. But there will be very real impacts for taxpayers hoping to decarbonize their homes.
The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA, provided tax credits for climate-friendly purchases ranging from heat pumps to solar arrays through 2032. That time frame has been cut to as little as a few months.
“This bill is going to take away a lot of assistance from consumers,” said Lowell Ungar, director of federal policy for the nonprofit American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. He noted that 2 million people used the home improvement tax credit in its... Read more
