On September 29, 2022, the Government Accountability Office (“GAO”) released a report entitled “Climate Change: Oversight of Federal Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Efforts.” The report discusses the GAO’s “oversight of federal efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” with a focus on “technology, energy consumption and efficiency, and domestic and international policies.” The report notes that “GAO has made several […] recommendations” for improving federal emission reduction efforts, “some of which have been addressed by Congress and the executive branch. However, several have not been addressed as of September 2022.” The report further states that “GAO is continuing its oversight in this area related to the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act.”
Section 70004 of the IRA appropriates to the Comptroller General of the United States $25 million to cover GAO’s expenses related to overseeing the distribution and use of funds appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act, as well as determining whether the economic social, and environmental impacts of that funding are equitable.