In the past three years, the United States has committed over $1 trillion towards decarbonization through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). This historic investment aims to accelerate the nation’s shift to a low-carbon economy through incentives for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and energy efficiency. However, as states and local governments work to implement these programs, critical questions remain on how to prioritize efforts to achieve maximum impact. This position paper, co-authored by experts including Gordon C. McCord, calls for treating decarbonization policies as an evolving experiment, with robust evaluation measures to identify what works best. Through targeted incentives, effective data collection, and rigorous independent analysis, the IRA and BIL investments have the potential to provide valuable insights for future policy decisions, supporting the United States’ commitment to its 2050 climate goals.