Joe Manchin Finally Signed Off on a Climate Bill. Does Everyone Get Free Solar Panels Now?

After a year of thwarted plans, Senate Democrats might actually use their majority to pass a gigantic climate bill that could reduce emissions by a major amount? Build Back Better is dead; long live the Inflation Reduction Act, a big social and climate spending bill that it seems everyone from the Squad to Larry Summers can get behind. On top of that, it contains about $369 billion for energy and climate measures—a larger amount than ever before, even outspending the approximately $300 billion in climate provisions from last year’s infrastructure bill. Healthier Homes The richer you are, the easier it is to green your home, but the Inflation Reduction Act includes $1 billion in grants to help affordable housing become more energy-efficient as well. This bill contains billions of dollars in environmental justice initiatives, including: $3 billion in block grants to support community projects that address the nature and public health harms stemming from climate disasters, another $3 billion to increase affordable transportation access in disadvantaged neighborhoods and fund plans to lay out more public transit routes in a given area, and $1 billion to develop and distribute electric school buses, transit buses, and garbage trucks.