How Climate Policies Boost Economic Opportunities – Gina McCarthy, Fmr. White House National Climate Advisor & Head of the Climate Policy Office (Biden Admin.), Fmr. EPA Administrator (Obama Admin.)

“(People) just have to work with their own local communities….We are talking about $400 billion of investment in the Inflation Reduction Act already captured. That’s just two years. This is a 10-year bill…To me, what’s most exciting is that the opportunities are real, and you can grab them.…Already 3.4 million families have grabbed Inflation Reduction Act tax breaks, and put solar on their roofs, made their homes more energy efficient, which considerably lowers energy bills for those families. And, when you get into families and communities and people can see and feel the benefits, that’s when it’s going to take off. And so I’m seeing that happening already, but we’re also recognizing that we just have a, a wealth of broader opportunities available.” Gina McCarthy on Electric Ladies Podcast

In this year’s historic election, many people may be confused about how climate policy relates to the Economy – or they may think it’s only an economic drain. But it turns out that climate and energy policy are huge economic drivers. How?

Listen to Gina McCarthy, fmr. White House National Climate Advisor & Head of the Climate Policy Office and fmr. EPA Administrator in this enlightening conversation with Electric Ladies Podcast host Joan Michelson live from the Democratic National Convention. They also share insightful career advice.

You’ll hear about:

• How do the Inflation Reduction Act & Infrastructure Investment Act create economic Growth?
• How can regular people, homeowners and Small Businesses seize opportunities in the IRA, no matter what state they’re in? (McCarthy offers tips & explains where the Money is going so far.)
• How will Vice President Kamala Harris address climate change and clean energy? Why doesn’t she talk about it more?
• Where the funding and incentives are for training in these new climate- and clean energy-related industries and fields.
• Plus, insightful career advice, such as…

“My advice would be to look for a career path that makes you happy. One that makes you feel like when you got home, you did something….and I would be open to many different things…I don’t think women should pigeonhole themselves. I think they should look for stretch goals. Go into something you didn’t do before, and it will excite you to learn….I just want women to consider something new and different. I want them to have the courage to say, ‘I can do this.’” Gina McCarthy on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You’ll also like these episodes: (some may be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Rachel McCleery, Senior Advisor, Treasury Dept. Inflation Reduction Act Program, on how to leverage the IRA to save money reducing a building or business’s energy use and carbon footprint.
• Vanessa Chan, Ph.D., Chief Commercialization Officer of the Department of Energy and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions, on the Inflation Reduction Act and the transition to clean energy.
• Polly Trottenberg, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation, on the transportation revolution taking place.
• Heather Boushey, Member National Council of Economic Advisors and Chief Economic of the Invest in America Cabinet, in the Biden Administration, on climate and energy policy and the economy, and the Inflation Reduction Act & Infrastructure Investment Act.

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Joan Michelson Electric Ladies Podcast - Innovation, Energy, Climate, Careers

Joan Michelson, MBA is a highly accomplished business leader and award-winning strategic social impact and ESG – environment, social, governance – leader, who drove breakthrough results at Chrysler (in EVs), American Express and Deloitte, small businesses, and government agencies. She is an instructor on ESG issues to professionals, leaders and board members across industries. Her specialties include leveraging ESG solutions and partnerships strategically for maximum benefit, helping organizations recruit innovative, diverse women, and helping these women thrive in their careers. She is based in the Washington D.C. area.

Joan is also an accomplished journalist who has worked with top media organizations and hosts and produces the acclaimed Electric Ladies podcast (formerly known as Green Connections Radio), about innovation and leadership in energy-, climate- and sustainability-related issues across industries, featuring women experts.

She writes regularly for Forbes on these issues and has also been in the Harvard Business Review, HuffPost, TheAtlantic.com, Greenbiz, The New Economy magazine (distributed at the World Economic Forum), New Thinking magazine, regional business journals; and various other media. She coproduced segments with CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” ABC News, and “The Crusaders,” and television specials on NBC.

Joan has spent her career working in energy-sustainability-climate-ESG issues and in marketing communications, including as head of communications and co-leader of the sales and marketing team of Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM), driving “best year ever” growth and significantly accelerated the adoption of electric vehicles. Prior to GEM, she led marketing communications efforts to high-net-worth and high-visibility clients in management consulting-financial services companies Deloitte and American Express. She's a native of NYC and has a BA from UCLA, an MBA from Baruch College at City University of NY, and post-graduate studies at Harvard Business School, The New School and The Aspen Institute, among others. She has a Sustainability and ESG certification from Competent Boards.