Climate protection farewell: The end of the Inflation Reduction Act?

 

For centuries, the Sioux tribe in North Dakota lived in harmony with the natural resources surrounding them. Then European settlers robbed them of their land and way of life.

Rich in oil and gas deposits, North Dakota continues to be highly attractive to investors.

Cody Two Bear, a member of the Sioux, refused to accept that oil extraction was destroying his homeland. He founded the organization Indigenized Energy - to raise money for a solar park.

Inflation Reduction Act for green investments

Then in 2022, Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act gave the community and the initiative a further boost. The IRA is the the largest green investment program ever to have been introduced in the US.

The act foresees investing hundreds of billions of dollars in industry and climate protection over the coming years through a series of support programs and tax breaks.

Trump's slogan: “Drill baby drill”

But North Dakota, which is one of the country’s top oil and gas producing states, saw overwhelming support for Donald Trump during the recent Presidential election. One of Trump’s campaign pledges was to keep oil extraction going. His slogan “Drill Baby drill” promised the oil and gas industry a rosy future. He has also been clear that he wants to put an end to green development programs.

So – what will happen to the renewables sector in the US, once Trump takes over in January?  And what will the new political direction mean for the Sioux in North Dakota in particular? Cody Two Bears says: “Fossil fuels are only for a select few that really want to fill those pockets where there’s self-interest.” He and many others hope that projects such as the solar park will continue to be supported.