Biden-Harris Administration Announces Over $250 Million Funding for Innovative Projects to Fight Climate Pollution

WASHINGTON “Today, the Biden-Harris administration is committing $250 million to develop innovative strategies to reduce climate pollution and build a clean energy economy. These planning grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the first tranche of funding to states, local governments, tribes, and territories under the $5 billion Climate Reduction Grants (CPRG) program created in under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. . The program provides states, tribes, territories and municipalities with flexible planning resources to develop and implement scalable solutions that protect people from pollution and promote environmental justice.

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible for the $3 million grant. In addition, each of the nation’s 67 most populous metropolitan areas is eligible to receive $1 million for local climate pollution plans. The EPA also makes millions in non-competitive planning grants to territorial and tribal governments. Later this year, the EPA will announce a $4.6 billion funding competition for the projects and initiatives included in these plans. States, cities, territories, and tribes can also use this funding to develop strategies to use other grant, loan, and tax provisions under President Biden’s historic legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, to achieve their clean energy. climate and environmental justice goals.

“We know that overcoming the climate crisis requires urgently protecting people and the planet.” said EPA administrator Michael S. Regan. “President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act is a historic opportunity to provide communities across the country with the resources they need to protect people from harmful climate pollution and improve our economy. These climate reduction grants are an important first step in providing communities with the resources to create innovative strategies that reduce emissions and benefit across the country.”

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act includes historic funding to fight climate change while creating well-paying jobs and advancing environmental justice. Today’s announcement builds on $550 million announced last week for EPA’s new Environmental Justice Grant Program for Thriving Communities and $100 million announced earlier this year for Environmental Justice Grants to support underserved and overburdened communities. . In addition, the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Fund will provide nearly $27 billion to raise private capital to invest in clean energy and clean air across the country.

About the Climate Reduction Grants Program

The CPRG planning grants will support states, territories, tribes, municipalities, and aviation agencies in creating comprehensive, innovative strategies to reduce pollution and ensure that investments bring maximum benefits, especially to low-income and disadvantaged communities. These climate plans will include:

  • Inventories of greenhouse gas emissions;
  • emission projections and reduction targets;
  • Economic, health and social benefits, including for low-income and disadvantaged segments of the population;
  • Plans to use other sources of federal funding, including a bipartisan infrastructure bill and an inflation reduction bill;
  • The workforce must support decarbonisation and a clean energy economy; And
  • Future staffing and budgetary needs of the government.

EPA’s policy guidance released today describes how the Agency intends to allocate and manage CPRG funds to eligible entities, including states, metropolitan areas, tribes and territories.

states

Through the formula-based grant planning program, all state governments, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are eligible for up to $3 million. Each state government is expected to develop or update any existing climate change action plan in collaboration with sub-state jurisdictions, including air pollution control districts and municipalities large and small across the state, and engage constructively, including with low-income and disadvantaged communities throughout its jurisdiction.

Agglomerations

To support EPA’s efforts to reach the largest possible population with regional planning grants, the 67 most populous metropolitan areas will receive $1 million each to develop regional planning grants with key stakeholders in their area. Communities that are not among the 67 most populous areas will have the opportunity to partner with their states and neighboring jurisdictions.

Territories and tribes

The territories of Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands and federally recognized Indian tribes are also eligible entities; The application process is detailed in a separate program guide.

Tribes provide $25 million in grants up to $500,000 for a single tribe or $1 million for groups of 2 or more. Territories are eligible for up to $500,000 each. Applicants are not required to provide a cost share or matching funds for this funding.

Next steps

States must submit a notification of intent to participate by March 31, 2023; The nation’s 67 most populous metropolitan areas must submit a notice of intent to participate by April 28, 2023. The EPA strongly encourages all eligible organizations to review the full program guidance documents available on the EPA website to learn more about these planning grants, details on eligibility criteria. and distribution formulas, important deadlines and other requirements.

Later this year, this climate planning funding will be followed by $4.6 billion in implementation grants that will support the accelerated implementation of investment-ready policies created by CPRG grants, programs and planning projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near future. Through the CPRG program, EPA will support the development and deployment of technologies and solutions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution, and move America towards a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans.

Key dates of the program

States and metropolitan areas have different deadlines for notifying the EPA that they intend to sign up for climate planning grants.

  • states will be up March 31, 2023to participate in this grant by sending a notification of intent to participate. The state lead organization will then be required to submit an application that will include a work plan and budget for the planning grant, April 28, 2023. During this time, states may work with regional EPA offices.
  • Agglomerations eat up April 28, 2023to participate. The lead organization for the capital region will then be required to submit an application that will include a work plan and budget for the planning grant, before May 31, 2023. During this time, metropolitan areas may work with regional EPA offices.
  • Tribes and territories have a separate program guide, process and deadline for submitting applications and workplans by June 15, 2023. Regional EPA offices will work closely with Tribes and Territories to support their successful application. They must work closely with their EPA region to submit the application and work plan June 15, 2023

By summer 2023Regional EPA offices expect to enter into and administer funding agreements.

Webinars

EPA will host two webinars for State, Territory, Local, and Tribal Governments to provide additional information on guidance for the Non-Competitive Planning Grants Program on March 2, 2023 and March 7, 2023 at 2:00 pm ET. A recording of the webinar will be posted on the Climate Reduction Grants website.

Learn more about Climate Reduction Grants

CPRG Grants Program Planning Guide

Sign up for Climate Reduction Grant Alerts

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