On an exposed ridge deep in Appalachia, 23 shining new wind turbines loom over a wooded valley — the newest additions to the energy mix in America’s traditional coal heartlands.
The Black Rock wind farm, nestled in the remote mountains of outer West Virginia, is exactly the sort of project President Joe Biden hopes will proliferate as a result of the unprecedented clean energy cash injection he signed into law in August.
The president wants to ignite a green revolution that will transform the American energy landscape, slash carbon emissions and put the country at the forefront of a global cleantech race. But more than that, Biden also promises his $370bn clean energy push — under a law named the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — will bring new jobs to depressed fossil fuel communities where livelihoods depend on the extractive industries.