HHS Assistant Secretary for Health ADM Rachel Levine Statement Marking the 2-year Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act and its Benefits to the Climate and Health Sector

Today marks the two-year anniversary of the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, a landmark investment in climate protection. The Inflation Reduction Act is accelerating our progress toward President Biden and Vice President Harris' ambitious climate goals, which include building resiliency and reducing emissions in our health sector.

Climate change poses a threat not just to our health, but to our health systems. Climate change is the most significant threat to human health in the 21st century, according to more than 200 medical journals. It creates both acute and chronic risks, particularly to vulnerable populations, and already costs the American economy billions of dollars a year, significantly burdening the nation’s healthcare system. The health care sector also contributes to the problem itself, accounting for 8.5 percent of the country’s carbon emissions.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides billions of dollars for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience investments that can strengthen our health care organizations, particularly safety net health care organizations. These opportunities support the core mission of health care providers by improving emergency preparedness and lowering operating expenses. Inflation Reduction Act funding opportunities help providers make investments that allow them to stay open before, during, and after emergencies and reduce their own pollution levels.

• For example, Boston Medical Center is using the Investment Tax Credit to help finance the Clean Power Prescription, a first-of-its-kind pilot program that provides solar energy credits to patients who report difficulty affording household utility payments. The credits are generated by a 356 kilowatt (kW) solar array on the campus of Boston Medical Center. Patients enrolled in the pilot receive a monthly credit on their electric bills, totaling $600 over the course of twelve months.
• Valley Children’s Healthcare is using the same tax credit to finance a new microgrid. The new microgrid will ensure that the hospital remains open during power outages and will meet 80 percent of the hospital’s peak time energy needs. The microgrid is also expected to cut carbon emissions by more than 50 percent from Valley Children’s 2021 baseline.
• AdventHealth is using the Investment Tax Credit to install a 3-megawatt solar photovoltaic system that will become one of the largest privately owned solar projects in Florida. The solar canopy is expected to produce 4,200 megawatt hours per year, or the equivalent of annual electricity use for more than 550 U.S. homes. AdventHealth will also be installing 31 dual-port electric vehicle charging stations across the campus for team members and guests.
• OhioHealth is using the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit to finance electric vehicle charging stations that charge OhioHealth’s fleet overnight and are free for its rural community to use during the day.

The Office of Climate Change and Health Equity shares the stories of these providers, and information for providers hoping to start making investments in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resilience, through its Catalytic Program on Utilizing the Inflation Reduction Act. The Program targets outreach to safety net providers and aims to connect the health sector to opportunities that will help them save money and better serve their communities.

We know that climate solutions are health solutions. The Inflation Reduction Act helps the health sector play its part in achieving health equity for all.