PA Republican Received Solar Funds from Opposed Biden Bill
TL/DR –
Rep. Mike Kelly, a critic of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, received a grant from the law to install solar panels at his car dealership. The dealership was given nearly $315,000 to install a solar panel array, saving the firm an estimated $23,700 per year in energy costs. The grant was distributed through the USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which was given an additional $1 billion in funding by the Inflation Reduction Act.
Rep. Mike Kelly Uses Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act for Solar Panel Grant Despite Opposition
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), a critic of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, used the law to receive a grant for solar panels installation at his car dealership. The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a Uniontown dealership owned by Mike Kelly Automotive Group nearly $315,000 for a 261.9-kilowatt solar panel array, reported Erie Times-News. The grant is set to save the firm $23,700 per year, according to the USDA.
The USDA distributed the grant through its Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which received an additional $1 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act, expanding its reach. Kelly derided the legislation after its passage, claiming it was filled with poor policy and wasteful spending.
Kelly’s office particularly criticized the bill’s climate provisions, such as $7,500 tax credits for electric vehicle purchase.
Kelly’s spokesperson stated that the congressman supports an all-of-the-above approach to energy policy and is not involved in the daily operations of his family’s business. Kelly’s 2022 financial disclosure showed an ownership stake in Mike Kelly Automotive Group worth between $50,001 and $100,000, a salary from the company of just under $30,000, and a “note receivable” from the company worth between $500,001 and $1 million.
Preston Nouri, Kelly’s Democratic challenger, has called for the return of the grant money, accusing Kelly of using taxpayer money for personal enrichment while opposing the interests of his constituents. Kelly previously faced scrutiny for opposing student debt cancellation after accepting nearly $1 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans during the COVID-19 pandemic that were forgiven.
Kelly, a staunch Trump ally who has advocated for rights of people arrested during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has been a representative of Pennsylvania’s northwestern corner since 2011. His district, Pennsylvania’s 16th, was carried by former President Donald Trump by nearly 21 percentage points in 2020.
—
Read More US Economic News