There has quite possibly never been a better time to live in rural America—and certainly in rural Pennsylvania.

Thanks to an avalanche of strategic federal investments, country dwellers no longer have to leave their hometowns to find opportunities. Instead, opportunity is coming straight to them and has already created more than 51,000 new rural jobs since 2022—when the Biden-Harris administration began implementing the Inflation Reduction Act.

By offering a plan to provide all rural areas with reliable electricity and clean water, as well as modern-day necessities of high-speed internet and rural transit, the Inflation Reduction Act is helping oft-forgotten communities realize their full potential. 

And there’s so much more to come—provided the Inflation Reduction Act and its companion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law remain intact. Programs such as the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program and the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program are investing billions to bring clean, reliable and affordable energy to rural communities, helping them to avoid skyrocketing electric bills while heating and cooling their homes, running their businesses, and powering their cars, schools and hospitals.

The Rural Energy for America (REAP) program—which received an injection of $2 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act—is helping Pennsylvania families save their farms and is offering loans so that rural small businesses and agricultural producers can upgrade their energy efficiency. At least 31 renewable energy projects are getting underway across Pennsylvania as we speak—a statewide investment of $5.69 million and $500 million nationwide. 

A lot of former mineland in rural communities will, under the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, be repurposed for clean energy deployment. The Department of Energy announced up to $475 million for such projects in Pennsylvania and other historically mining states. 

One thing is clear: the Biden-Harris clean energy plan isn’t leaving rural America behind. And it’s not just rural America that benefits—all Pennsylvanians will get a boost from the clean energy boom. Experts estimate that as clean energy continues to expand, the average family’s energy costs will drop by $1,000 each year. 

Despite these far-reaching benefits for all Americans, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly proposed repealing the Inflation Reduction Act. And while all Americans ultimately benefit from the clean energy boom, rural America arguably has the most to lose should it be repealed.

That’s why Pennsylvania lawmakers must continue to fight to maximize our state’s share of this critical funding, as well as to ensure the law is not eliminated. Destroying the law would mean destroying all of the opportunities it has created—and the jobs, savings and economic growth that come with them. 

Katie Blume is the political and legislative director of Conservation Voters of PA. She is the chair of the PA Clean Power Coalition, serves on the Climate Power PA Advisory Board and served on the transition team for PA Gov. Josh Shapiro.