The Biden administration has surpassed the $100bn mark in clean energy grants through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The milestone has been confirmed by John Podesta, Biden's senior advisor for international climate policy, as reported by Reuters.

The administration aims to solidify clean energy deployment before President-elect Donald Trump, who plans to rescind unspent IRA funds, takes office.

“Crossing the milestone of $100bn awarded shows just how quickly we’re getting these funds out the door and into communities so they can make a real difference for the American people,” Podesta told Reuters.

The administration is set to exceed its objective of disbursing more than 80% of available IRA grant funding by the end of Biden's presidential term in January 2025.

A senior Biden administration official stated: “When funds are obligated, they are protected. They are subject to the terms of the contract, so when those contracts are signed and executed, this becomes a matter of contract law more than a matter of politics.”

The IRA provides a decade's worth of tax incentives for clean energy projects, including wind and solar installations. Ending these subsidies would likely require an act of Congress.

The grants and subsidies have significantly boosted renewable energy projects nationwide, with Republican-led states receiving the majority of benefits.

According to the report, 18 Republican House members urged House Speaker Mike Johnson not to cut the law's incentives back in August, warning it could jeopardise major investments.

Some of Trump's allies have also benefited from the IRA, particularly in carbon capture, sequestration and clean hydrogen.

Recent awards include a $119m contract from the General Services Administration to electrify five federal buildings in the DC area, and $147m allocated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for climate change research related to fisheries.

$256m in grants and loans have been provided through the Rural Energy for America Program by the US Department of Agriculture.

In July 2024, the Biden administration announced the selection of 25 projects to receive $4.3bn in grants through the president’s signature climate law.

The projects were proposed by 30 state, local and tribal governments across the country. The grants will help deploy clean energy technologies in sectors from housing to agriculture.

The US Environmental Protection Agency reviewed almost 300 applications, totalling more than $30bn in requested funding.