This morning, Evergreen Collaborative released a new video sharing the story of Alijah Thomas, a home energy assessor in Detroit, who is working to make a difference and change his community for the better. Following last year’s historic legislative session and an influx of federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Michigan is seizing the moment to build a prosperous, equitable clean energy workforce. Thanks to a paid jobs training program, which will expand thanks to these state and federal investments, Alijah is making the most money he’s ever made while helping his neighbors lower energy costs and breathe healthier air. 

In addition to Alijah, the video features Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and local business leaders, who are working to reverse the historic disinvestment in Detroit by fostering a clean energy economy centering and directly investing in Michigan communities.

This is Evergreen’s second video in a program to highlight the real-life impacts of climate and clean energy policy in communities across the country following a video last year highlighting how union workers in Milwaukee are building America’s clean energy future. Since the IRA passed, Michigan has seen some of the most federal investment and clean energy job growth in the country. In less than two years, the IRA has funneled over $25 billion in investment into the state, created over 21,490 new clean energy jobs, and helped break ground on 58 new clean energy projects. 

Watch the video here.