Abrams joining electrification nonprofit as senior counsel

Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) is set to join electrification nonprofit organization Rewiring America as a senior counsel. 

In a news release, Rewiring America said that Abrams, a former House minority leader in her home state of Georgia, will use her new role to help launch a national awareness campaign and also a network of communities working together to help Americans go electric.

Abrams will also provide guidance to the nonprofit organization as it continues its outreach mission to connect Americans and their communities to machines, installers, Inflation Reduction Act incentives and jobs in the clean energy transition, according to the release.

In a statement, Abrams expressed her excitement about joining the organization, noting her experiences observing the environmental and health injustices that impacted her community growing up. 

Abrams, who lost her second bid for Georgia governor in November to incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), has also received praise for her work as a voting rights advocate in recent years. 

“We are at an inflection point, where families in the South and across the country live too close to the economic edge, and every dollar saved now changes their future. But few understand how much money they can save with a little help to upgrade their homes and vehicles,” Abrams said in her statement. 

“I’m excited to join Rewiring America to share the benefits of electrification and ensure families get their fair share,“ she continued. “I look forward to working together as we build the tools that will transform everyday Americans from energy consumers to energy moguls in their own communities.”

Rewiring America, a green energy advocacy group, launched an online savings calculator last August, on the same day President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, to help Americans determine how much money they qualify for under the law to replace dated appliances in their homes and elsewhere. To date, the organization said that more than 400,000 Americans have used the system to calculate their potential savings.

The Biden administration also announced last November that Rewiring America will lead a coalition of major U.S. companies in a consumer outreach and education campaign to connect households with Inflation Reduction Act rebates and tax incentives to go electric.

“Rewiring America anchors our work in how the decisions we make around the kitchen table about the machines we use can save us money, make our homes and communities healthier, and reduce climate-harming emissions,” Rewiring America Co-Founder and CEO Ari Matusiak said in a statement. “Stacey Abrams’ career of public service has hit all these themes and more. She’s a brilliant and visionary organizer who will accelerate our work and expand the audience for the benefits of electrification — the most equity-centered climate strategy we have.”