A year in, landmark U.S. climate policy drives energy transition but hurdles remain
One year ago, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, directing hundreds of billions of dollars to speed the transition away from fossil fuels.
A year ago, Sonia Aggarwal watched from home as the votes came in on the U.S. Senate floor. Aggarwal was working as a White House aide, advising the Biden administration on climate policy. She'd been up all night, listening as senators debated legislation she and many others had spent more than a year trying to pass.
When Vice President Kamala Harris finally cast the tie-breaking vote – 51 to 50 – on August 7, 2022, Aggarwal was in tears.
With that vote, the country's most significant climate legislation made it through the U.S. Senate, a body that had stymied for decades. The bill went on to clear the U.S. House, and made its way to President Joe Biden for his
