Mandela Barnes Guides Wisconsinites on Biden’s Clean Energy Benefits

TL/DR –

The President’s Inflation Reduction Act is investing $370 billion over several years to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gases, and create jobs. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who previously led Gov. Tony Evers’ Task Force on Climate Change, is now president of Forward Together Wisconsin which aims to connect Wisconsinites to funding and information related to these initiatives. Through this new group, Barnes is working to bridge the information gap and make sustainability more accessible, focusing attention on under-resourced communities and promoting the law through various campaigns.

Empowering Wisconsinites to Harness the Inflation Reduction Act for Energy Efficiency

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, with a $370 billion investment over the next few years, aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emission. However, this initiative can only succeed if these funds reach the right people – the equipment manufacturers, installers, business decision-makers, and homeowners committed to energy efficiency. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin is playing a key role in this mission.

As the president of the new group Forward Together Wisconsin, Barnes capitalizes on his past experience leading Gov. Tony Evers’ Task Force on Climate Change. His group aims to connect Wisconsinites to essential information and funding, focusing especially on communities that may previously have been overlooked.

“Many people are unaware of what the Inflation Reduction Act entails and how it impacts them. Our goal is to close this access gap,” Barnes told UpNorthNews.

Barnes’ group promotes the Inflation Reduction Act, using various strategies, including mass media and door-to-door interaction. “We are communicating directly with people, informing them of the incentives they qualify for and the potential improvements they can make in their homes,” Barnes said.

Part of the group’s outreach includes school districts. Forward Together Wisconsin helps connect schools, particularly those in lower-income districts, to resources they may not have known about.

“Our mission at Forward Together Wisconsin is to make sustainable attainable,” Barnes said. The group is committed to directing resources to communities often hit hardest by climate change impacts and economic downturns, such as high-poverty regions, communities of color, rural areas, industrial sites, and indigenous populations.

“The Biden-Harris administration is committed to ensuring that resources flow equitably to communities,” Barnes said. “Beloit and Milwaukee, for instance, are communities across Wisconsin affected by poor air quality. There are endless opportunities to lead a just transition on these air quality issues.”

Barnes views the Inflation Reduction Act as the vehicle to bypass obstacles put in place by Republicans. “This is an opportunity for us to generate resources, revenue, and create a new generation of hardworking Wisconsinites,” Barnes added.

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