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Led by the City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives, the Southern Arizona Coalition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience was named one of 60 finalists in EDA’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge out of more than 500 applicants from across the U.S. Though they did not win the phase two award, the region came away stronger and the coalition is staying together to maintain its commitment to building back better.

IEDC is now accepting submissions for the 2023 Excellence and Leadership in Economic Development Awards. Take advantage of early-bird pricing and submit your entry by April 14. JoAnn Crary, CEcD, FM, HLM, received the Jeffrey A. Finkle Organizational Leadership Award in 2022. The Organizational Leadership Award recognizes individuals who have continuously led the same public or nonprofit economic development organization with integrity, tenacity, and a philanthropic spirit for at least 15 years. Nominees should demonstrate a vast knowledge of the intricacies of the economic development profession and play a pivotal role in the continued success of their organization. They have not only exhibited exemplary leadership but have also worked ...

The most recent episode of IEDC’s Economic Development Sessions series featured IEDC president and CEO Nathan Ohle in conversation with U.S. Secretary of Energy and former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. Granholm reflected on her experience facilitating economic development in her past and present roles. Granholm first discussed critical economic diversification strategies she used while serving as Governor of Michigan during the 2008 financial crisis: “We had been the auto manufacturing state for so long, but we knew we had to add new legs to our economic table to balance it.” Through federal partnerships Granholm diversified Michigan’s auto industry, including by investing in electric vehicle battery ...

Aaron Brickman and Lachlan Carey from the Rocky Mountain Institute recently joined an IEDC panel to discuss the historic initiatives within the Inflation Reduction Act. They emphasized the enormous opportunity for economic developers within the $369-billion act. “It’s hard to underestimate just how big of an opportunity this is nationally, regionally, and specifically for economic developers,” Carey said. “The next nine to 15 months will determine the next 15 to 30 years of capital allocation.” The Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law on August 16 by President Biden, and marks the single largest investment in clean energy in U.S. history. It comes at a time when the clean energy industry is rapidly ...

In August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law. The act is designed to fight inflation, invest in domestic energy production and manufacturing, and reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030. Specifically, the bill includes $369 billion in investments towards energy security and climate change. Below is a brief overview of the energy provisions and the potential implications the act has for consumers, employers, and manufacturers. Lowers energy costs for Americans – The incentives in the bill will alleviate the burden of high energy costs and decrease utility bills. Additionally, it includes incentives that will help consumers afford more energy efficient and cleaner technologies. The bill ...

Aaron N. Gruen, principal of the urban-economics, market-research, land-use policy, and pre-development services firm Gruen Gruen + Associates, shares his thoughts on how to combat skyrocketing gas and housing costs.

With Tesla’s commercial success and new technology emerging to shape the future of electric vehicles (EV), it’s no wonder that there are numerous startups trying to be the next big thing in the automotive industry. In 2020, four out of every five EVs sold in the United States were Teslas, and the rest were mostly from other large automobile manufacturers (WSJ). A new contender that has breathed life into the EV startup scene is Rivian, which won the 2022 Motortrend Truck of the Year award. The truck is fully electric and does not sacrifice performance or functionality for the sake of efficiency, competing with top-of-the-line vehicles such as Range Rovers and Jeeps (Motortrend). At around $70,000, it is competitively priced ...

IEDC will kick off 2022 by focusing on strengthening our communities, attracting new industries, and advancing equitable economic growth. The Leadership Summit will concentrate on diversification—strengthening what we have by diversifying existing economic drivers, diversifying the regional economy and attracting new industries, and diversifying to advance equitable and inclusive growth for disadvantaged and underserved populations.