Clean energy tax credits work for Iowa. Don’t repeal them, Congress. | Opinion

Congress has the power to either preserve the momentum we’ve created and safeguard clean energy tax credits that enable Iowa to prosper or send our state back to a time with more expensive energy.

• Todd Miller is the board president of the Iowa Solar Energy Trade Association.
• Amber Markham is director of external affairs at The Nature Conservancy.

U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, and nine of their House Republican colleagues are calling on Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith to save the clean energy tax credits passed under the Inflation Reduction Act. We agree — repealing these tax credits is a direct threat to Iowa’s economy, workforce, and energy security.

Here in Iowa, those very same clean energy tax credits are already delivering results. They’re helping small businesses in Fairfield cut costs, giving farmers near Ames tools to improve their bottom line, and training electricians in Sioux City for high-skilled, good-paying jobs. They’re putting solar panels on barns, boosting local economies, and keeping family energy bills manageable — all while building a more stable power grid.

A recent study commissioned by the Nature Conservancy found that clean energy tax credits will support more than 2,300 jobs in Iowa every year through 2032 — that’s $116 million in wages and nearly $240 million added to our state’s economy annually. And these jobs aren’t just short-term. They include long-term careers in manufacturing, engineering, transportation, and energy operations for Iowans.

A repeal of the clean energy tax credits would undo our progress. It would mean higher costs for families and businesses — projecting a 7% to 10% increase in energy bills by 2026, according to national projections. It would slow job growth, shrink opportunity, and make us more reliant on the same fossil fuel volatility that’s cost Iowa consumers and businesses dearly in the past.

When you combine clean energy with traditional power sources, you get lower costs, fewer price spikes, and more energy resilience in times of extreme weather that strain our power grid. The clean energy tax credits help to make this resilience and economic prosperity happen; it’s about having a diverse energy mix that works better for everyone while boosting local economies.

Clean energy is now one of the fastest-growing job sectors in the country and it’s helping keep young people in Iowa by offering skilled, meaningful work in their own communities. These investments are not red or blue. They’re just smart policy.

We know how to lead here in Iowa. We’ve led the country in wind energy, 13 GW, and are now charting a path forward in solar, storage, and other technologies. We innovate. We adapt to emerging technologies that uplift working families. And when we see something that’s improving the lives of our neighbors, families, and friends, we don’t tear it down — we build on it.

This is a critical moment to continue building for the future. Congress has the power to either preserve the momentum we’ve created and safeguard clean energy tax credits that enable Iowa to prosper or send our state back to a time with more expensive energy and fewer job opportunities for young Iowans, and shrink a burgeoning high-skilled industry. We urge Iowa’s representatives to protect these tax credits, support our clean energy workers, and keep Iowa’s economy charging forward.

Todd Miller is the board president of the Iowa Solar Energy Trade Association. Amber Markham is director of external affairs at The Nature Conservancy.