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“Monday’s announcement is the second phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program, the latest such investment from the Biden administration. The first phase was an allocation last year of $250 million to help local governments cut climate pollution and advance clean economies, Regan said. The funding for these projects comes from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature piece of climate and economic legislation.
The grants ‘put local governments in the driver’s seat to develop climate solutions that work for their communities,’ said John Podesta, the president’s senior adviser for international climate policy.
The projects could reduce emissions by as much as 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents by 2030, the administration said. By 2050, the reductions could rise to 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, the same as the emissions caused by energy use in about 5 million homes over 25 years. Officials hope these projects will not only create jobs but serve as models for future initiatives.
The 25 projects — from states, a tribe, local governments and coalitions — were chosen from more than 300 applications for almost $33 billion in funding. The selections were based off the potential reduction of emissions, the ability to track these reductions and the diversity of industries represented.”
Launched on June 1, 2017 by the governors of Washington, New York, and California to help fill the void left by the previous administration’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement, the Alliance has grown to include 24 governors from across the U.S. representing approximately 60% of the U.S. economy and 55% of the U.S. population. Governors in the Alliance have pledged to collectively reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 26-28% by 2025, 50-52% by 2030, and 61-66% by 2035, all below 2005 levels, and collectively achieve overall net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as practicable, and no later than 2050.
The Alliance’s states and territories continue to demonstrate that climate action goes hand-in-hand with economic growth, job creation, and better public health. The Alliance reduced its collective net greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2005 and 2022, while increasing collective GDP by 30%, and is on track to meet its near-term climate goal by reducing collective GHG emissions 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. The coalition’s states and territories are employing more workers in the clean energy sector, achieving lower levels of dangerous air pollutants, and preparing more effectively for climate impacts and executing more pre-disaster planning than the rest of the country.
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