Washington, DC — Today, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the below statement on the U.S. Treasury Department’s proposed guidance for the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) energy community bonus. The bonus was included by Chairman Manchin in the IRA to drive investment to energy communities and increase support for projects placed in those communities. Treasury’s proposed guidance expands the credit to include more onshore areas and offshore wind projects.

“As the proud Senator from a state that wears the scars of producing the coal and gas that powered this country to greatness but now faces lost jobs in the broader goal of clean energy sources, the energy community bonus was intended to drive new investment to those areas that needed it most. It was not intended to make an even sweeter deal for offshore wind, which by its very nature cannot be located in a traditional energy community. Not only does this action drive the cost of the IRA up, it spits in the face of true energy communities that need the investment and jobs. The Administration is yet again implementing a very different bill than what we agreed upon in good faith and passed, and this is one of the most offensive violations of the IRA that I’ve seen yet,” said Chairman Manchin.