Arizona's Explosive Growth in Jobs and Manufacturing One Year Into the Inflation Reduction Act Hyper-charged by Battery Technology, Renewable Energy

PHOENIX, August 2, 2023 – Arizona elected and business leaders led by Sen. Mark Kelly today marked the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Biden administration’s landmark clean energy plan already bringing generational investment to states.

According to new jobs and investment data released by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a burgeoning manufacturing sector in Arizona underpinned by explosive growth in battery technology has propelled over $10.8 billion in announced investments along with over 11,400 jobs in EV and battery manufacturing. More than two-thirds of the investments announced occurred since passage of the IRA and more than 90% since passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), with a staggering three-fold increase in announced investments alone since EDF first surveyed this data in March. The clean energy plan is a jobs and economic engine that is meaningfully tackling climate pollution while producing low-cost energy – all of it mission critical as the Southwest swelters in record heat exacerbated by the greenhouse gas emissions currently warming the planet at an unsustainable rate.

“Arizona is not only on the frontlines of the challenges of climate change, but also the solutions,” said Sen. Kelly. “Our state has long been a leader in clean energy; and now, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, that is being boosted with investments in development, manufacturing, and deployment of renewable energy. These investments are not just helping us fight climate change, they’ve created more than 11,000 good-paying jobs here in Arizona – not overseas.”

“Cities across the country carry the responsibility of successfully implementing the historic clean energy plan in the Inflation Reduction Act,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “Fortunately, Phoenix already leads in so many relevant areas, from solar energy to electric vehicle and battery manufacturing. These industries of the future are taking shape in Arizona today, simultaneously creating great jobs that are boosting our local economy. Now more than ever, we must continue working to tackle climate change and bring long-term relief to our communities which have had to grapple with unrelenting extreme heat waves this summer. We can achieve a more sustainable future by leveraging the investment and power of the Inflation Reduction Act, and I look forward doing so with our partners at the local, state, and federal level.”  

“The demand for domestic battery production was put into hyperdrive by the passage of the IRA,” said Suzanne Swink, vice president of government relations at KORE Power. “The state-of-the-art battery manufacturing facility that the KOREPlex Gigafactory is bringing to Arizona will cement the state’s role as a leader in the domestic production of the battery cells needed to power EVs and modernize the electric grid. The clean energy revolution is powering jobs and the economy in Arizona and we’re thrilled to play a role in accelerating its deployment.”

“My children are the seventh generation of my family to call Arizona home,” said Ben Bryce, senior manager, State Affairs Southwest Region for Environmental Defense Fund. “These investments in Arizona’s clean energy economy give me hope for their future and for a vital Arizona for everyone. As we stand at the vanguard of innovation and transformation for the Arizona economy, I could not be more excited about what the President’s clean energy plan is already bringing to my home state – and will continue to do so for generations to come. As evidenced by the jobs and investment numbers released by EDF today, the Inflation Reduction Act is a game-changer as it encourages private investment in clean energy technologies that will reduce harmful pollution, improve health outcomes, lower energy bills and make us more energy secure.”