Biden Administration Offers $4.6B in Grants to Reduce Climate Pollution

The USA Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched $4.6 billion in competitive grants to fund state, local, and tribal programs and policies that cut climate pollution, advance environmental justice, and deploy clean energy solutions across the country.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) will be available across two implementation grant competitions, one general competition and one specifically for tribes and territories, the EPA said in a news release Wednesday. Under these competitions, eligible applicants will compete for the CPRG to fund measures in their state-, municipality-, tribe-, or territory-specific climate action plans. As part of its evaluation of applications, the agency said it will prioritize measures that achieve the greatest amount of greenhouse gas emissions reductions.

The EPA anticipates awarding approximately 30 to 115 grants ranging between $2 million and $500 million under the general competition in the fall of 2024. The agency also expects to award approximately 25 to 100 grants ranging between $1 million and $25 million under the tribes and territories competition in the winter of 2024-2025. The deadline to apply for the general competition is April 1, 2024, while the deadline to apply for the tribes and territories competition is May 1, 2024, according to the release.

The two new competitions are part of the second tranche of funding from the EPA’s $5 billion CPRG program, which was created by President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The EPA has already made $250 million available to fund the development of climate action plans, and nearly all states, plus major cities, opted in to receive these flexible planning resources. The $4.6 billion implementation grant competitions will fund initiatives developed under the first phase of the program, the agency said.

“Tackling the global climate crisis requires partnerships and action across the country”, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. “President Biden secured this historic funding because he knows that communities need resources to fund projects to cut climate pollution, lift up disadvantaged communities, and reap the economic and job-creation benefits of climate action. By investing in America, we’re investing in communities so they can chart their own paths toward the clean energy future”.

“EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program recognizes that to tackle the climate crisis and advance environmental justice, communities need to be in the driver’s seat steering toward their own clean energy future”, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta said. “It’s why these state, local, and Tribal grants are such an important part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda”.

“The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program is the largest program of its kind to help state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to develop and implement a wide variety of greenhouse gas reduction measures”, Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said. “From devastating hurricanes to widespread flooding across our area, our region is experiencing firsthand the urgent need to make progress on climate action. These grants give our partners the opportunity to invest in a cleaner economy that can spur innovation and economic growth while building more equitable, resilient communities”.

According to the release, the CPRG program will also advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

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