A transformative moment for the clean energy economy, climate change, and energy security

I was honored to represent the 通用电气 team with President Joe Biden and Antonio Carrillo, CEO of our wind tower partners, Arcosa Inc. , in New Mexico yesterday to discuss the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act over the past year. It was a fitting occasion to celebrate two great milestones:?Arcosa’s new wind tower facility in Belen, which will exclusively supply GE wind turbines, and reflecting on how the last 12 months have ushered in a transformative moment for the clean energy economy, climate change, and energy security.

First, today is a transformative moment for building a clean energy economy. New Mexico and Arcosa’s new IRA-driven wind towers facility is among the early proof points of how the IRA is helping to strengthen the economy by incentivizing companies to create jobs, build factories, and innovate in the United States.?Specifically, the IRA’s domestic content credit is helping to create the right kind of jobs with the skilled labor and needed training to help communities like Belen play an oversized role in the nation’s clean energy supply chain.?

GE Vernova recently announced its own plans to expand wind manufacturing in the U.S., including a 6.1MW onshore wind turbine and for the first time, offshore wind components if we win sufficient orders. We are repurposing part of one of our oldest factories in Schenectady, New York, to take advantage of the talented local workforce and the large infrastructure we need.?We’ve also announced a $20 million investment to expand production at our Pensacola, Florida, nacelle facility and more jobs for our North Dakota blade factory.?Just as important as building factories is developing people to succeed.?To that end, we’re also working with our communities to train and inspire the next generation workforce from underserved populations.

Second, today is a transformative moment for addressing climate change. We are all seeing and experiencing the effects of climate change in different ways, and in particular how it is impacting vulnerable populations. With some of the best wind resources and ideal wind conditions in the U.S.—from the southern borders of New Mexico and Texas and straight north—this facility will have a critical role in helping solve these challenges. Having regional suppliers and factories supply wind towers for future projects will help accelerate our ability to address climate change in the places that can have the most impact.?

Finally, today is a transformative moment for energy security. These policies not only are promoting a clean energy economy and addressing climate change, but ensuring energy security, American competitiveness, and equity. We believe this is critical to both decarbonize and electrify at the same time while ensuring everyone has access to more sustainable, reliable and affordable energy.?GE builds and innovates the world’s most diverse portfolio of energy technologies, and the IRA strikes the right balance of both promoting clean energy like wind while incentivizing carbon capture, hydrogen, and small modular nuclear reactors—areas where GE is innovating today.

When America innovates, the entire world wins—starting with workers in communities like Belen and across the country.?We’re in early innings on IRA, but the public and private partnerships we’re celebrating today bring optimism for the future.

Thank you to President Biden, Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for the honor of including GE and for your leadership in promoting these policies for the clean energy economy, climate change, and energy security.