The draft Act includes up to USD6.5bn in investment tax credits for taxpayers that re-equip, expand or establish domestic manufacturing facilities that produce advanced energy equipment.

As the government provides 30% of the investment for eligible clean energy projects, with the private investor providing 70%, these tax credits are expected to encourage more than USD22bn of total investment in domestic manufacturing facilities. It will add to the USD2.3bn of such tax credits that were originally provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Sander Levin, said: “As the world moves toward renewable energy and a greener economy, it is necessary to accelerate a new era of American manufacturing and innovation. With the US government as a full, active and effective partner, the private sector can expand our green manufacturing capacity, ensuring that these jobs and products will be created in the US, competing globally and protecting our environment.”

Pointing to the success of the original issue of investment credits, President Obama said: “The only problem we have is, these credits worked so well, there weren’t enough to go around. More than 180 clean energy projects in over 40 states received USD2.3bn in tax credits, but the program was such a success that we received 500 qualified applications for USD8bn in tax credits.”

“I believe that if an American company wants to innovate, grow, and create jobs right here in the US, we should give them the support they need to do it. That’s why I’m urging Congress, once again, to invest USD5bn in these clean energy manufacturing tax credits. It’s an investment that will generate (an additional) USD12bn or more in private sector investment and tens of thousands of new jobs.”