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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.

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 ...

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.

Green infrastructure represents a water management method of protecting, restoring, or mimicking the natural water cycle. The concept encompasses practices such as urban forestry, rooftop gardens, and green parks. This is in contrast to grey infrastructure, the more traditional practice of water management. Green infrastructure is an effective and economical way to manage stormwater, build urban resilience, and enhance economic developments. Therefore, economic developers should take active roles in promoting green infrastructure in cities. Environmental impacts of urban green infrastructure Traditional grey infrastructure has not adequately managed stormwater in cities. While natural landscapes can capture 90 percent of stormwater, ...

The expanding green economy provides EDOs the opportunity to establish new industries and jobs within their region. Green industries and jobs can become a driver of economic development, and EDOs can provide the support that helps local green industries prosper. Below are some steps that EDOs can take to encourage green growth in their local economy. Workforce training EDOs can play an important role in preparing a workforce that is skilled and ready to take on green jobs. As mentioned in my previous post, workforce development poses a challenge for the green economy. By working with training providers, local education institutions, and businesses, EDOs can ensure that their community’s workforce is prepared for green jobs. By ...

On March 31 President Biden announced the American Jobs Plan, an investment that will "create millions of good jobs, rebuild our country’s infrastructure, and position the United States to outcompete China," according to the White House Fact Sheet. The $2 trillion plan is championed by the President and Vice President both for economic recovery and as a much-needed investment in U.S. infrastructure. Research published by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) evaluates the American Jobs Plan’s economic impact, and the results are clear: investing in infrastructure would create and save jobs around the country. According to the CEW report, spending on infrastructure would catalyze job growth ...

As part of IEDC’s Take Action Against Racism in Economic Development webinar series, four presenters spoke about the geography of inequality and the relationship between place and economic opportunity. Robby Habans, PhD, economist at The Data Center in New Orleans, and Robert Manduca, PhD, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, gave an overview of place-based economic disparities on a micro and macro level. Habans presented his work on how life expectancy and economic mobility can vary at the neighborhood level within a single metropolitan area. In New Orleans and across the country, data show that life expectancy in majority Black census tracts is consistently lower than in majority non-Black census tracts ...

As climate change has become increasingly evident, the support for a greener economy has grown. The 2009 stimulus package was one of the first government policies that allocated funding for green industries. President Obama included $20 billion for green economy investments, which included $500 million for green job training. This action began shifting our economy to include large energy sectors focused on environmental health. President Biden has made it known that he plans to support and invest in the green economy. Growth in green industries will help Biden achieve his goal of a zero carbon emission energy sector by 2035. In the past month, multiple legislations and proposals have been introduced to help with the shift towards a ...