Christopher Schuler, christopher.schuler@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 25 applicants who will receive Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program implementation awards. The grants will go to state, local, and regional entities on the frontlines of fighting climate pollution. The grants awarded will support their efforts to develop and implement a variety of strong, local greenhouse gas reduction strategies.
“This funding will be a game-changer for states, cities, and regions working to tackle climate change head-on and improve health outcomes for their communities and the people who call them home,” said Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club. “The Inflation Reduction Act continues to deliver for the American people, and these transformational awards will expand access to clean air and clean water, and move us closer to meeting the mark in the fight to stave off the very worst of the climate crisis.”
A full list of recipients of CPRG implementation grants can be found here. All of the climate pollution reduction efforts selected to receive funding align closely with the goals and missions of the Sierra Club’s campaigns, from working to decarbonize the industrial sector, to efforts to electrify homes and buildings, invest in clean public transportation and zero emission vehicles, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.
“The investment of over $600 million for states and cities to realize their clean manufacturing goals is another critical step in the industrial transformation we need to support good green jobs, slash harmful air pollution, and secure a livable climate,” said CeCe Grant, director of Sierra Club’s Industrial Transformation Campaign. “Pennsylvania’s award, which will jump start a statewide incentives program for manufacturers, means that the epicenter of American steel manufacturing over the last century can lead the way in not only modernizing industry, but sharing the benefits from the next manufacturing boom with workers and frontline communities.”
The EPA estimates that the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5 million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.
“This round of awards through the Inflation Reduction Act provides an additional $1.06 billion dollars toward transforming the buildings sector – from midstream incentives for heat pump deployment in the Northeast to a comprehensive, whole home approach that targets low-income and disadvantaged communities in the Denver regional area,” said Amneh Minkara, acting director of Sierra Club’s Building Electrification Campaign. “As a result of this funding, more than half a million families will see increased energy efficiency and lower energy costs for their home. We applaud the EPA and all of the awardees for the transformational efforts and look forward to supporting the rollout of this funding across the country.”
Of the total, the EPA is investing $1.18 billion in CPRG funds for climate efforts that advance clean transportation. The funding will install charging stations along the nation's busiest freight traffic corridors, provide incentives for electric cars and trucks, and deploy 18 electric locomotives. The awards will also invest in transit and active transportation to reduce up to three billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a powerful metric that demonstrates how reductions in carbon emissions and congestion leads to better air quality and less time spent commuting.
“EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants will provide $1.18 billion in funding for transportation: expanding regional public transit in Austin, Texas; electrifying locomotives in California; and investing in charging infrastructure for electric trucks across the east coast,” said Katherine García, director of the Sierra Club’s Clean Transportation for All Campaign. “These outstanding awards for clean transportation will ensure communities have sustainable, convenient mobility options and cleaner vehicles across the country. We congratulate the recipients for applying and receiving these crucial awards that will reduce climate emissions from our nation’s highest-polluting sector.”
The EPA is also investing $372 million toward improvements in the electric sector, with incentives to support the deployment of up to 19,000 megawatts of solar and wind generation by 2030.
“The awards distributed today to advance clean energy are a major win,” said Laurie Williams, director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. “Study after study has shown that moving off of coal-burning and to a decarbonized electric grid at the speed needed to avert climate catastrophe can be done reliably, and in fact can lower customer costs by billions of dollars.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.