Bill Gates-backed wind pioneer's plea to Republicans to spare Biden green law
'Red state'-based turbine innovator Airloom Energy says IRA crucial to economic benefits
A US wind turbine startup backed by Bill Gates will appeal to Republican politicians to protect green incentives introduced under Joe Biden’s presidency but now in the crosshairs of Donald Trump.
The company, whose backers include the Microsoft founder’s Breakthrough Energy Ventures, said it expects legislators to put Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the spotlight after Trump – who has been critical of its massive incentives package for green energy – returns to the White House in January.
Airloom said it will lobby its three Republican congressional representatives in Wyoming, where it plans to build a pilot project, “to share how critical the IRA is to our company, the jobs we’re creating, and the economic impact we’re driving”.
The company said: “We’re optimistic that the IRA will remain largely intact. This is because the economic benefits of the IRA are felt across the United States, but they are particularly impactful in red [Republican] states, where many renewable energy projects are being developed.”
Even with control of the Senate and House of Representatives, renewables’ supporters hope the sheer growth in power demand facing the US economy will also act in favour of wind and solar, on land at least.
Offshore wind is seen as the likely biggest casualty of the Trump presidency, with big players such as RWE and TotalEnergies openly talking about hibernating projects during his four-year term.
(Copyright)