New Third Way Project Shows the Impact of Clean Energy in American Communities

WASHINGTON—Today, Third Way launched “When America Leads: Communities Shaping US Clean Energy Competitiveness,” an online map and database that tells the story of how clean energy and related investments are shaping communities across the United States. When America Leads tracks investments across 11 different clean energy technologies, describing how clean energy is creating economic opportunities and restoring America’s competitive edge in areas like manufacturing, engineering, software development, and construction. This project complements existing clean energy maps by integrating narrative storytelling with accessible and detailed data on US clean energy investments.

“The United States can lead the clean energy future—and is already poised to do so across many of the technologies at the heart of the energy transition,” said Ryan Fitzpatrick, Senior Director of Third Way’s Clean Energy Program. “That leadership brings real, tangible benefits to our communities, from stronger infrastructure to better-paying jobs to more reliable energy. This project outlines how recent clean energy investments are benefitting Americans across the country and where the US is poised to expand our lead moving forward. When you look at the stories assembled here, it’s clear that, when America leads the energy transition, American families, workers, and businesses win.”

The project is informed by a September 2022 Boston Consulting Group (BCG) report (with a second installment released in March 2023) commissioned by Third Way and Breakthrough Energy that examined US competitiveness and the potential economic benefits of American leadership in clean energy industries. The investments highlighted in When America Leads were made following, and in many cases benefit directly from, the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS).

Technology types covered by When America Leads are advanced nuclear and small modular reactors; carbon capture, utilization, and storage; clean steel; direct air carbon capture; electric vehicles and batteries; geothermal energy; long-duration energy storage; low-carbon hydrogen; offshore wind; and solar. These technologies were identified in the BCG report as critical to American clean energy leadership. When America Leads also includes semiconductors, given their importance to domestic manufacturing and clean energy technology development.

Given the vast scope of clean energy investments across the United States, the database is not exhaustive. Its objective is to provide a representative overview of significant and promising investments in clean energy across the country in sectors critical to US competitiveness. Projects on the map will continue to be updated periodically and monitored for their viability and ongoing success.

For questions on When America Leads, please contact Mary Sagatelova, [email protected]