Bianca Sanchez, bianca.sanchez@sierraclub.org
Hartford, CT – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) – along with coalition partners in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island – was awarded $450,000,000 in funding as part of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program implementation awards. In addition to the regional New England award, Connecticut will also benefit as a co-recipient of a $249,000,000 award granted to New Jersey and a $9,500,000 award granted to the City of New Haven.
The EPA selected 25 total applications from 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. The regional $450,000,000 award led by DEEP will fund a new New England Heat Pump Accelerator program aimed at rapidly increasing the adoption of heat pumps across the five states. The grant will directly fund heat pump adoption in more than 500,000 single-family and multifamily residential buildings regionwide.
"We applaud the Lamont Administration for working cooperatively with our New England neighbors to win this federal grant; because of this win, heat pumps will be accessible to more Connecticut residents, businesses, and communities," said Samantha Dynowski, State Director, Sierra Club Connecticut. "Heat pumps protect Connecticut residents from excessive heat while reducing pollution that worsens the climate crisis and dirties our air. As we collectively work to achieve our state-mandated climate goals, we must continue to expand greater access to heat pumps in buildings and homes statewide."
In addition to the New England Heat Pump Accelerator, $9,500,000 awarded to New Haven will fund construction of a networked geothermal system to heat and cool Union Station. Along the I-95 Corridor, Connecticut will also see the deployment of electric vehicle charging infrastructure thanks to an awarded coalition application led by New Jersey.
A full list of recipients of CPRG implementation grants can be found here. All 25 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, and invest in clean public transportation and zero emission vehicles.
“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.”
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.
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.