Echo Communications in Politico

Chris Moyer, founder and president of Echo Communications Advisors, was quoted in Politico shortly after the House voted to gut the IRA’s clean energy tax credits:

 

Politico: Senate Republicans look to curb House rollback of IRA tax credits

By James Bikales and Kelsey Tamborrino
May 22, 2025

House Republicans sent a message to the clean energy industry Thursday by axing key provisions of Democrats’ landmark climate law in their mega reconciliation bill.

Senate Republicans are planning to have the last word.

The legislation that passed the House early Thursday made a number of changes impacting clean energy tax credits under Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act. Those changes — more aggressive than earlier drafts of the House bill — are expected to significantly restrict the ability for clean energy sources like wind and solar to claim the lucrative credits, while carving out wins for the nuclear sector that has been cheered by Republicans.

[…]

In the months and weeks leading up the vote, dozens of House Republicans had joined letters and statements defending the credits. That fact — and the number of clean energy projects poised for GOP districts — gave many in the clean energy industry confidence that Republicans would largely preserve clean energy credits. But those House members ultimately supported the package on Thursday — increasing the stakes for Senate Republicans to make changes.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), one of the most outspoken defenders of the tax credits, said in a statement she voted for the bill because it delivers on other key GOP priorities, but she remains “deeply concerned” about rollbacks to the credits, especially the more aggressive cuts made just prior to the vote.

“As the bill moves to the Senate, I hope further changes will be made to protect the tax credits that are already creating jobs and providing energy for Virginia families,” Kiggans said.

[…]

While the Senate is widely expected to moderate the IRA rollbacks, it will have to weigh them against other painful cuts and priorities for the megabill. To some clean energy advocates, the House vote was a warning sign that support is not assured until the final vote.

Chris Moyer, a former staffer for then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), said in a statement the vote was a “real wake up call for the clean energy industry that took too much solace in a few letters from House Republicans.”

“For many in the industry, it’s their first up-close experience with the strong tide for partisan politics that prevents party divisions on major votes like this one,” said Moyer, who is now president of Echo Communications Advisors. “This is a hard-learned lesson, and the only option left is to hope the Senate will show more backbone in fixing the House’s errors.”

Read the entire story here.