Press Mention Public News Service June 16, 2025
SACE Quoted
Congress' big budget bill risks $73 billion in Southeast clean energy investments
In this mention
Chris Carnevale, director of climate advocacy at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, warns that repealing clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act could result in factory closures, job losses, and increased pollution, with the Southeast facing particular risk due to concentrated battery and EV manufacturing investments in Tennessee and neighboring states. Carnevale argues that eliminating EV incentives would increase gasoline demand and prices, and that the uncertainty is already affecting regional manufacturers' hiring and construction plans.
Our country will lose its edge internationally in developing clean energy markets. And of course, we will have a lot of unnecessary pollution that will harm our health and harm our environment, that we wouldn't have if we continued with the current policies of investing in and continuing to support clean energy development.
Chris Carnevale
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Full transcript
Congress' big budget bill risks $73 billion in Southeast clean energy investments
By Danielle Smith - Producer
Jun 17, 2025
Tennessee's clean energy progress could stall if the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" now being debated in the U.S. Senate repeals some tax credits.
Groups favoring keeping the clean energy tax credits said without them, electric bills would increase. They also warned the legislation threatens to cut 92,000 jobs, as well as $73 billion in Southeast regional investments.
Chris Carnevale, director of climate advocacy at the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, explained repealing clean energy tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act could lead to factory closures, loss of employment and increased environmental harm.
"Our country will lose its edge internationally in developing clean energy markets," Carnevale pointed out. "And of course, we will have a lot of unnecessary pollution that will harm our health and harm our environment, that we wouldn't have if we continued with the current policies of investing in and continuing to support clean energy development."
In Congress, senators are divided over whether to keep the Biden-era tax credits. Carnevale argued ending them would hit the Southeast hard, in part because of the massive battery and electric vehicle manufacturing investments concentrated in Tennessee and neighboring states.
Carnevale noted cutting clean energy support comes just as the nation sees a historic increase in demand for electricity, as data centers and artificial intelligence demand more power. He added fewer incentives for electric vehicles could also raise gas prices.
"If the bill takes away incentives for people to switch to electric vehicles, the laws of supply and demand dictate that, if there's fewer electric vehicles on the road, then that's actually more demand for gasoline," Carnevale outlined. "The price goes up at for everybody at the pump."
He pointed out one expert analysis estimated rolling back clean vehicle tax credits could cut electric vehicle demand by 40% by 2030. He added the uncertainty is already affecting business in the region, as some manufacturers have paused construction and hiring plans.