Clean Energy Investment in Biden’s Build Back Better Package Sends Clear Signal that the United States Is Ready to Tackle Climate Change, Says ITIF

WASHINGTON—As the U.S. Congress finalizes a framework for the Build Back Better reconciliation package, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the leading think tank for science and technology policy, released the following statement from the director of ITIF’s Center for Clean Energy Innovation, David Hart:

ITIF supports the continued efforts to invest in American clean energy technology, build robust supply chains, and tackle industrial sector decarbonization in President Biden’s Build Back Better framework. This framework, alongside the bipartisan infrastructure package that was passed by the Senate in August, is critical to building a strong clean energy economy for the 21^st century. The $555 billion investment sends a powerful signal to the world that the United States is once again ready to engage in the global climate conversation.

The United States will not be able to reach ambitious climate targets by relying only on existing commercial clean energy deployment. Rather, the nation must continue to invest in innovation to accelerate the development of solutions for challenges that are far from solved.

For more on this issue, please see:

• David M. Hart, “The Impact of China’s Production Surge on Innovation in the Global Solar Photovoltaics Industry” (ITIF, 2020).
• David M. Hart and William B. Bonvillian, “Policymakers Must Beware of Technology Lock-in for Energy Storage” (The Hill, 2018)
• Robert D. Atkinson and Jackie Whisman, “Podcast: Global Supply Chains Under Pressure, With Willy Shih” (ITIF, 2020)