WASHINGTON - In Washington, Congressman Jim McGovern will lead a special hearing on the big climate, health care and tax legislation the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider later this week. 

This comes after the Senate approved the package over the weekend. The measure would lead to the largest investment ever by the U.S. to fight climate change and help Massachusetts' clean energy industry. 

Over the last decade, Massachusetts has received high marks from a number of environmental organizations and advocacy groups for taking proactive steps to address global warming. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) told Spectrum News that this puts the state in a good position to capitalize on the appropriation for climate in the big spending bill Democrats are pushing through Congress.

One part of the bill, which Democrats have named the Inflation Reduction act, would extend tax credits available for renewable energy projects and create new incentives for investments in clean energy technology or energy generation. 

"Massachusetts is a big winner in this bill because we're poised to unleash an offshore wind revolution that is going to create thousands of new jobs," said Markey. "We are actually a state that 14% of all of our electricity already comes from solar. That's going to lead to an explosion and it's going to mean a lot of workers who are going to have to do that, that work." 

At the state level, Massachusetts legislators have paved the way for the industry to grow over the last several years. There are now about two dozen clean energy companies across the state. That means there are plenty of businesses already up and running that can take advantage of the benefits outlined in the legislation. That includes billions of dollars for expanding wind and solar power facilities. 

"We absolutely stand to benefit from a renewed emphasis on these technologies that are absolutely going to power the future," said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). "We want to be powering the rest of the world, not the other way around. For too long we’ve been buying green technologies, especially things like solar panels from China. They shouldn't control the green economy, Americans should." 

According to numbers gathered by the state, there are already nearly 115,000 clean energy workers in Massachusetts, which is a little more than three percent of the state’s workforce.

Markey, however, wanted to point out that the Inflation Reduction Act will help Massachusetts beyond a financial impact. 

"It's going to be protecting our coastline from the dangerous storms that erode our beaches that threaten our fishing industry because the warm waters of our coastline are now the second fastest warming waters on the planet," said Markey. 

Markey isn't the only member of Massachusetts' congressional delegation to share those those concerns..

"This is about what kind of planet we want to leave to our kids," said Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.). "I've got two little ones at home, a two-year-old and one-year-old. I don't want them to grow up facing the same trade offs and the same crises that my generation is facing right now.  A planet that is seeing boiling heat waves on three continents, wildfires, flooding, we need to fix this for our kids."  

After the Inflation Reduction Act moves through the House Rules Committee on Wednesday, chaired by Representative Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), it will go to the House floor for a vote. Democrats have the majority in both the House and Senate and President Joe Biden has said he'll sign the legislation into law.