Federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) dollars are rolling into Reno and Washoe county.

Today Mayor Hillary Schieve, Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, and environmental advocacy groups met downtown to highlight some of the major IRA investments going toward climate change and clean energy in the region.

"Today we are here celebrating the IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, and we're very proud of the City of Reno because some of our local companies like the American Battery Technology Company received ten million dollars," said (I) Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve.

The investments include:

Nearly $10-million to the American Battery Technology Company in Reno.

A $2-billion conditional loan for the Redwood Materials expansion in Washoe County.

The most recent Climate Power clean energy boom report estimates that Nevada has seen $9.14 billion in clean energy investments, and the creation of 11,500 jobs.

Another report estimates the IRA will create more than 42,000 clean energy jobs in Nevada over the next decade.

Reno's Climate Action Plan is very extensive, and actually one of the top ranked in the country. The city is one of less than 200 cities worldwide to be LEED Gold certified.

Sustainability Manager of Reno Suzanne Groneman has been leading the charge to bring Reno to net-zero.

"That really looks at the really fine pieces of infrastructure, the delivery of drinking options, water, our rivers. It looks at everything, so that was a huge undertaking. It took about a year and a half. The other thing is we're two for two on our major construction projects and rehabilitation projects. That's our public safety center where we'll have solar and storage, and our Moana Pool we'll also have solar. So our two newest infrastructure projects, we have renewables on both of those projects," said Reno Sustainability Manager Suzanne Groneman.

'We want to do everything we possibly can to educate people that Reno is actually a city that could be in big trouble if we don't continue to protect it and continue to make the investments that we keep saying are important to do," said Mayor Schieve.

But, not everyone agrees that Reno is under great threat from climate change.

Heartland institute's Anthony Watts tells 2 News that the city is heating up not because of climate change, but rather because Reno has developed dense concentrations of pavement, buildings, and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat.

'Well I would say to the Mayor that Reno is not under threat of any climate change, it's an entirely an artificial signal that the city has grown dramatically and it's an urban heat island effect, but you know clean energy is always a nice goal but the problem is that it just doesn't work and I think focusing on that is just simply a distraction," said Heartland Institute Environment and Climate Senior Fellow Anthony Watts.

Washoe County has adopted a Community Operations Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and they've hired a sustainability manager to do a communitywide greenhouse gas inventory.

Commissioner Alexis hill also touted Ira investments in rural areas.

"Many of our rural parts of our county have been left behind in this green energy space and we just received a one hundred thousand dollar grant through the Ira to invest in planning for green energy in Gerlach," said Washoe County Commission Chair Alexis Hall. "Individual consumers can get rebates to buy products for their home that are sustainable for our community as well as solar implementation. We want to see how we can support our lower income communities to support solar and have lower energy costs long term," said Hall.

Washoe County is also devoting resource to expanding urban forests to combat urban heat.

Progressive Nevada Communications Director Amber Falgout disagrees with Watts and contends that the effects of climate on Northern Nevada are too impactful to ignore. 

"Last year Reno was named the fastest warming city in the U.S. This combined with a longer fire season and smoke inundating our valley has created a situation that none of us can be able to ignore any longer. Thankfully our leaders are taking this issue seriously. President Biden and his administration have worked to ensure climate change policies are passed and implemented. The provisions within the Inflation Reduction Act have started helping businesses and communities compact the climate crisis. One example of this is the consumer tax credit that is available to middle and lower income people to help them afford electric vehicles. This is a robust investment in our future. Finally the Biden Administration has provided numerous benefits through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act which invests $486 million to improve public transportation across the state," said Institute for a Progressive Nevada Communications Director Amber Falgout.