GREEN BAY – Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich joined Tribal leaders, business leaders, labor representatives, clean energy workers, and faith leaders Wednesday at a roundtable warning that proposed cuts in the federal reconciliation bill would significantly undermine local clean energy projects across Wisconsin and to urge members of Congress to act on protecting these provisions.
The event, titled “Community Impacts of the Reconciliation Bill: What’s at Stake?” was held at Union Congregational Church in Green Bay – home to a newly installed solar panel array and was hosted by Wisconsin Conservation Voters. The roundtable spotlighted the looming rollback of clean energy tax credits that have powered projects in communities large and small. The changes, passed recently by the U.S. House of Representatives, would gut core provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Participants said those provisions are already generating jobs, cutting pollution, and helping local governments meet energy goals.
“Every family in Green Bay deserves affordable energy and the opportunity for good jobs,” Mayor Genrich said. “The proposed reconciliation bill threatens both and must be rewritten. Now, as always, I’m committed to advancing policies that move our city toward a cleaner, more affordable, and more prosperous future, and that’s why I’ll continue advocating for federal legislation that does just that.”
The reconciliation bill as it is currently written would sunset the Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit and the Clean Energy Production Tax Credit in 2028 – four years earlier than originally intended – and require new projects to begin within 60 days of the bill’s passage. Other incentives like the Residential Clean Energy Credit and the Energy Efficient Home Credit would expire entirely at the end of this year, instead of 2032.
“These incentives make solar panels, heat pumps, and battery storage financially viable for everyday Wisconsinites, nonprofits, and local governments,” said Casey Hicks, federal government affairs manager for Wisconsin Conservation Voters, who moderated the discussion. “Without them, dozens of projects could be stalled or canceled.”
Rev. Bridget Flad Daniels, senior pastor of Union Congregational Church, shared that her congregation installed rooftop solar through IRA support, not only to reduce emissions and energy bills, but to live out their values.
“When our congregation undertook a capital campaign recently, we decided to not only improve our building, but to align it with our values,” Daniels said. “Solar power allows us to model a more sustainable way of living and free up funds to serve those in need. We would not have been able to do this without the Inflation Reduction Act.”
Panelists emphasized that since 2022, IRA clean energy and manufacturing tax credits have created 7,400 jobs and supported more than $8.6 billion in private investment across the state.
Theresa Lehman, director of sustainable services at Miron Construction Co. Inc. described a recent school project in Menasha that achieved net-zero energy thanks to IRA funding. “We’re helping reduce utility costs, improve health outcomes, and educate a generation of students about sustainability,” she said.
But those gains could quickly unravel, labor and industry leaders warned.
“Skilled labor is not a commodity that can be purchased as needed,” said Jesse Michalski, project manager at Eland Electric and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “We’ve spent years building up the workforce to meet this moment. Pulling these investments now would force contractors and workers to look elsewhere.”
Representatives from the Oneida Nation and BlueGreen Alliance also spoke to how the IRA has helped underserved and Tribal communities lead on energy and job creation.
Carly Eaton, state policy manager for Wisconsin at BlueGreen Alliance said projects are already being halted: “Since the IRA was signed into law, manufacturers and developers have enjoyed the market certainty they need to break ground on billions of dollars worth of new or expanded manufacturing facilities, energy projects, and more. These federal tax credits are supporting more than $8.6 billion in private investments across Wisconsin.”
She said pulling back these investments now will reverse gains hard working Americans and businesses have seen from this law – risking jobs, economic growth, and energy affordability.
The event concluded with a call to action aimed at Wisconsin’s congressional delegation.
“Clean energy tax credits are already helping communities like Green Bay build a better future,” Hicks said. “Congress must protect these investments – not strip them away.”
Wisconsin Conservation Voters urges people to contact Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson and Rep. Tony Wied to share their support of these critical tax credits and urge them to protect local communities’ futures.
For more information and further resources from the organizations, email Communications Director Ryan Billingham at ryan@conservationvoters.org.
