Kansas’ Third District Leads Nation in Clean Energy Job Creation

Today, Representative Sharice Davids announced Kansas’ Third Congressional District has created more clean energy jobs than any other congressional district in the country. Thanks to Davids-supported legislation to lower costs and boost climate-friendly manufacturing, private companies have announced they’ll create over 20,000 jobs in Kansas’ Third District, almost doubling that of the district ranking second. Davids is the only member of the Kansas delegation to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which celebrates its one-year anniversary this coming August.

“No matter where they live or their educational background, all Kansans deserve a good-paying job to support their families and contribute to our local economy,” said Davids. “I’m proud to have supported both record clean energy and manufacturing job growth in Kansas and environmental protections for future generations. I’m focused on building upon these successes and making life easier for hard-working Kansans by lowering the costs of gas, groceries, and medicine.”

“We applaud Representative Davids’ tireless leadership in the passage and now the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest investment our country has ever made in climate, clean energy, and environmental justice,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, League of Conservation Voters. “As this record-breaking heat rages on, it’s never been more important or urgent that we double down on this progress. It’s testament to Representative Davids that her district now leads in the creation of more clean energy jobs than any other congressional district in the country.”

WATCH: Davids speaks on record clean energy job creation as one-year anniversary of historic federal legislation nears

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According to a report released today analyzing private sector manufacturing announcements in the last year, 20,500 new clean energy jobs for electricians, mechanics, construction workers, and technicians have been announced in Kansas’ Third Congressional District. A large majority of these jobs stem from Panasonic Energy’s $4 billion investment in De Soto. Panasonic, which can take advantage of certain IRA provisions to boost clean energy manufacturing, is estimated to deliver a $2.5 billion annual economic benefit to Kansas. Researchers have found that landing a clean energy job can result in an eight to 19 percent income increase, and 45 percent of all workers in clean energy production do not have a college degree.

Additional key findings in the report include:

• Kansas
  • Kansas ranks 14^th in total investment from private companies.
  • Along with the 20,500 jobs for Kansas’ Third District, Kansas’ Second District has gained 100 clean energy jobs in the last year.
• National
  • 170,256 clean energy jobs have been announced nationally in the past year.
  • There are 270 new clean energy projects nationwide, totaling $274.5 billion in investments for local communities.
  • American companies restored almost 350,000 manufacturing jobs in 2022 — a 25 percent increase from 2021.
    • The IRA will create more than 9 million clean energy and climate-related jobs over the next decade.

In keeping with her commitment to lower costs for Kansas families and businesses, Davids voted to pass the IRA in August 2022. This law is not only creating the clean energy jobs celebrated today, but also lowering the national deficit and health care costs by capping insulin prices at $35 a month for Medicare beneficiaries and giving Medicare the power to negotiating directly for lower prescription drug costs. As the largest U.S. investment in climate and clean energy in U.S. history, the IRA includes specific climate-friendly provisions such as:

• Clean Energy Manufacturing: Accelerates U.S. manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and critical minerals processing through targeted incentives.
• Electric Buses: Replaces traditional heavy-duty vehicles from school and transit buses and garbage trucks with clean heavy-duty vehicles through a $1 billion federal investment.
• Affordable Housing Energy Efficiency: Establishes a $1 billion grant program to make affordable housing more energy efficient and institutes 10 years of consumer tax credits, making heat pumps, rooftop solar, electric HVAC and water heaters more affordable.
• Short-Term Gas Price Fix: Requires three offshore oil and gas lease sales by the end of 2023, boosting American energy production in the short term to lower gas prices and reduce reliance on foreign countries.
• Emissions Reductions: Includes the largest ever climate and energy investment that will reduce harmful emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Davids has made increasing domestic manufacturing and workforce opportunities in Kansas' Third District a priority. Davids helped negotiate and pass the CHIPS and Science Act, major, bipartisan legislation aimed at increasing America's global competitiveness by making more goods at home. Since its passage, several companies have announced major investments in Kansas manufacturing, including Panasonic, Integra, and EMP Shield.