WASHINGTON, EU.- President Joe Biden persuaded congressional Democrats to provide hundreds of billions of dollars to combat climate change. Now he has another formidable task before him: Encouraging Americans to buy millions of more efficient electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels, and appliances.
It’s a public relations challenge that could determine whether the United States meets Biden’s ambitious goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The fact that the climate bill — which passed in August with only Democratic votes — is supported by tax credits and rebates made it more politically appealing than regulations that force polluting industries to make massive changes.
But it also means the government’s battle against climate change will be fought “house to house,” said Shannon Baker-Branstetter, who works on energy issues at the Center for American Progress, a think tank. investigation aligned very closely with the White House. “It’s very gradual,” he said. “That’s why it requires a very sophisticated communication strategy.”
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: With a new environmental law, the United States gives a strong boost to renewable energies
Biden acknowledged the existence of the hurdle during a recent cabinet meeting while discussing the incentives that will be available this year..
“People need to know how to take advantage of these benefits that we approved. It is incumbent on all of us around this table to make sure that we get that message out clearly,” she said.
The White House says it is putting together a plan to work with state governments, contractors, retailers and social media influencers to spread the message. “Lowering utility bill amounts is going to be a crucial driver”said Josh Peck, a senior policy adviser on clean energy issues.
It’s also collaborating with Rewiring America, a nonprofit focused on ways to electrify homes and businesses, and companies like Airbnb, Redfin and Lyft. As part of that effort, Rewiring America created an online calculator that shows what credits or rebates homeowners might be eligible for, depending on their income and the ZIP code where they live.
Buying a heat pump or installing solar panels is “a major expense line and a great opportunity to save,” said Ari Matusiak, the group’s founder and CEO. “So it’s really important to make sure that people are aware of the resources at their disposal and the benefits that they can bring to bear in terms of achieving savings on energy bills.”.
Renewable energy is an essential part of Biden’s policy.
But the White House faces an uphill battle.
Polls show that while Americans support action to slow climate change, they are generally unaware of the Cut Inflation Act, which includes many things, including financial incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and they are skeptical of their role in the climate crisis.
An AP-NORC poll released in September, a month after the law was enacted, found that 61% of American adults said they knew little to nothing about the law. And despite investing billions of dollars in solutions to improve the climate, only a third said it would help improve the fight against climate change, and about half said it would make no difference.
The White House says it is not fazed by the results. The goal is to make sure consumers are aware of the financial benefits of energy-efficient products when making crucial decisions about which products to purchase, Peck said.
“One of the challenges here is trying to meet consumers where they are when making decisions about these purchases,” he said.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: Biden and Trudeau advocate clean energy; AMLO does not mention them
Most American adults say they are unlikely to install solar panels or buy an electric vehicle in the next three years, according to the AP-NORC poll. Among them, about half said that financial incentives will not make a difference in their decision.
Homeowners are typically reluctant to replace space heaters or water heaters until they have no choice but to shell out the money for them. “One day the heat won’t turn on and it’s 10 (Fahrenheit) below zero outside. and you’re like, ‘Oh…I’ve got to go get a space heater,’” said DR Richardson, co-founder of Elephant Energy, a Colorado company that helps homeowners install electric heat pumps and other appliances.
“So the biggest challenge from our point of view, and from a climate perspective, is getting people to think ahead about how to replace these assets.”.
Most homeowners don’t understand what equipment qualifies for a rebate or tax credit, and even contractors aren’t always aware, Richardson said.
While some heat pumps are eligible for a full rebate, others are not, or only qualify for partial rebates.
“So it’s just a nightmare if you’re not used to working on creating spreadsheets to analyze and understand all these things.“, he pointed.
And not all the incentives are ready either. Although people can get a tax break on the cost of an electric car, solar panels or heat pump, rebates for low- and middle-income Americans trying to improve the energy efficiency of their homes are not yet available. The Department of Energy is still developing the system to distribute that money.
Electric vehicles are being strongly promoted in the US, for which Mexico plays a leading role as a producer.
Cecilia Muñoz, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council during the administration of President Barack Obama, said that during her administration she learned that it is crucial for the government to invest in the execution of policies.
“Too often we as promoters and policy makers applaud when a policy is implemented, and then we stop paying attention to it,” he said. Instead, ways to reach people directly need to be designed to help them “understand the steps they can take and the ways the government is going to facilitate that.”
The Department of Energy has begun providing information to states about their $9 billion allocation to support home energy improvements, including making homes more resistant to cold weather and installing pumps of heat.
And Biden, a self-described “car guy,” has been doing his part to promote electric vehicles, appearing at the Detroit Auto Show in September and on the television series “Jay Leno’s Garage.”
Donnel Baird, founder and CEO of BlocPower, a Brooklyn, New York-based company that works with utility companies, government agencies and building owners to improve energy efficiency, has worked with Lowe’s chain of energy home and other retail stores to promote efficient appliances.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: The Southeast Region of Coahuila is consolidated as a key in electric cars
The idea, Bird said, is for “the teller to say, ‘You know? You can get a tax credit if you don’t take that lawn mower and instead buy that green tech one.’” Although such interactions might not have immediate results, Baird said he was confident tax credits and other benefits of climate law would become more widely known.
“It took years for the ACA to get on track,” he said, referring to the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” And he added: “I think the same thing could happen with this law.”
Dan Pfeiffer, Obama’s former top communications adviser, sees another lesson in the bill. “The ACA became more and more popular the more Republicans tried to repeal it”he indicated, suggesting that Biden take advantage of any Republican attempt to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act in order to draw more attention to the benefits of that law.
“I have no doubt that the White House has thought through all of this,” Pfeifer said. But the problem is that “none of it is easy.” “The bulk of the work starts now,” he added.
The idea, Bird said, is for “the teller to say, ‘You know? You can get a tax credit if you don’t take that lawn mower and instead buy that green tech one.’” Although such interactions might not have immediate results, Baird said he was confident tax credits and other benefits of climate law would become more widely known.
“It took years for the ACA to get on track,” he said, referring to the Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare.” And he added: “I think the same thing could happen with this law.”
Dan Pfeiffer, Obama’s former top communications adviser, sees another lesson in the bill. “The ACA became more and more popular the more Republicans tried to repeal it.”he indicated, suggesting that Biden take advantage of any Republican attempt to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act in order to draw more attention to the benefits of that law.
“I have no doubt that the White House has thought of all this,” Pfeifer pointed out. But the problem is that “none of it is easy.” “The bulk of the work starts now,” he added.
