The Biden administration on Monday announced 25 recipients that will receive a combined total of $4.3 billion in grants to implement steps to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Biden administration on Monday announced 25 recipients that will receive a combined total of $4.3 billion in grants to implement steps to reduce greenhouse gas pollution
  • The move marks the second phase of the administration’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in Aug. 2022
  • The 25 approved applications -- out of nearly 300 reviewed -- will fund projects in 30 states and is estimated to reduce 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, according to the White House
  • In the first phase of the program, the administration made $250 million in grants available to states, local governments, tribes and territories to work on plans to cut emissions and build clean energy economies  

The move marks the second phase of the administration’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats in Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in Aug. 2022. 

The 25 approved applications – out of nearly 300 reviewed – range from the South Coast Air Quality Management District in California to the Hudson Valley Regional Council in New York and will fund projects in 30 states. When combined, the proposed projects are estimated to reduce 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, according to the White House. 

“Today my Administration is empowering local communities across 30 states to cut pollution and fight the climate crisis – from curbing greenhouse gas emissions in Pennsylvania to flood-proofing infrastructure in North Carolina,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “Today and every day, I will continue working to protect American families from harmful pollution and build a clean energy future.”

The projects seek to take on pollution in six areas, including transportation, electric power, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture and working lands, and waste and materials management. On a call with reporters, senior advisor to the president for international climate policy John Podesta said the program is designed to recognize that “tackling the climate crisis looks different in every community.” 

“More bikes lanes, public transit may be the best way for one city to reduce emissions and maybe making a local steel plant more energy efficient might be the best path for another,” Podesta added. 

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is set to make the announcement on Monday in Pittsburgh with Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, which is set to receive $396 million in funds to reduce emissions in the industrial sector and incentivize decarbonization projects in the state. 

“From decarbonization industries in Pennsylvania to helping improve and expand urban and community forests in Montana to providing essential regional transportation services in Austin, Texas, today’s funding will make a difference in communities across the country, particularly those most vulnerable to flooding, heat waves, wildfires and other destabilizing impacts of climate change,” Regan told reporters on the call. 

In the first phase of the program, the administration made $250 million in grants available to states, local governments, tribes and territories to work on plans to cut emissions and build clean energy economies. The administration said it will announce another $300 million in grants through the program later this summer.