[USA] Biden announces sweeping $2 trillion infrastructure plan

On March 31, 2021, President Joe Biden unveiled a $2 trillion, 8-year infrastructure plan, called the American Jobs Plan, which includes billions of dollars of investment in electric vehicles (EVs), transmission, and clean energy.[1] The plan is intended to create millions of new jobs, rebuild the country’s infrastructure, and position the U.S. as a global leader. According to the administration, the proposal would put the U.S. on the path to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. If signed into law, the plan would be one of the largest federal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Biden’s plan proposes investing $174 billion in EVs, $100 billion in the electric grid, $46 billion in clean energy manufacturing, and $35 billion in research and development to address the climate crisis. The proposal would also create a national Energy Efficiency and Clean Electricity Standard (EECES) to reduce electricity bills, increase market competition, encourage more efficient use of existing infrastructure, and boost carbon-free energy from existing sources like nuclear and hydropower. For tax credits, the administration proposes extending the tax credit phasedown by another decade and expanding tax credits to include a direct pay option for clean energy resources.[2] Biden’s plan also calls for the repeal of subsidies and foreign tax credits for fossil fuels.

[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/03/31/fact-sheet-the-american-jobs-plan/

[2] Expanding tax credits to include a direct pay option would allow tax credit holders to receive a direct cash payment from the U.S. Treasury instead of getting benefits through the tax equity market.