$99.9M Federal Grant to Fund Climate Pollution Reduction Efforts in Arkansas

(Metroplan)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced that it’s awarding $99.9 million to projects in Arkansas and Oklahoma that aim to reduce climate pollution.

The money is a portion of $4.3 billion that the EPA is awarding to fund such efforts in 30 states. Twenty-five projects were chosen to receive funding.

Funds awarded to the Arkansas Tri-Region CPRG Coalition will support projects throughout central Arkansas, northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley that aim to sequester and reduce emissions by protecting and restoring natural areas, increasing efficiency and improving access to active transportation and transit.

Planned projects include LED streetlights and EV charging to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, and building efficiency funding to support net-zero technologies for public and commercial buildings. The projects will also aim to ensure equitable access to the environmental benefits funded by the grant.

Metroplan of Little Rock served as the lead agency on the grant proposal, which was titled “Energy and Environment Innovation for the Natural State.”

“By preserving critical outdoor spaces, enhancing active transportation and demonstrating innovative energy solutions, the CPRG Implementation funding will be transformative for the Natural State and our state’s growing economy and tourism,” Casey Covington, executive director of Metroplan, said in a press release. “Our coalition’s selection for an award speaks to the benefits of partnerships among and within regions to achieve common energy and environment innovation goals.”

The coalition partnered with over 50 communities, agencies and organizations across the three regions to develop the projects and programs that will be established.

The grants are paid for by the 2022 climate law approved by congressional Democrats. The law, officially known as the Inflation Reduction Act, includes nearly $400 billion in spending and tax credits to accelerate the expansion of clean energy such as wind and solar power, speeding the nation’s transition away from the oil, coal and natural gas that largely cause climate change.

Submitted proposals aimed to reduce greenhouse emissions from transportation, electric power, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture and waste and materials management.

The latest round of grants includes $396 million to Pennsylvania to reduce industrial greenhouse gas emissions from cement, asphalt and other material, and nearly $500 million for transportation and freight decarbonization at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The grants will provide incentives for electric charging equipment, zero-emission freight vehicles and conversion of cargo handling equipment to lower emissions.

The funds, to be delivered this fall, “will help implement community-driven solutions that reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice and help accelerate America’s clean energy transition,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will receive $307 million to boost “climate-smart” agriculture and reduce agricultural waste from livestock, officials said. The grant also will fund projects to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial facilities and low-income households, as well as deploy solar panels and electrify irrigation wells.

Other grants include nearly $250 million to boost electric vehicle infrastructure along Interstate 95 from Maryland to Connecticut. The project will provide charging infrastructure for commercial zero-emission vehicles and provide technical assistance for workforce development along the I-95 corridor, one of the most heavily traveled in the nation.

Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine will get a total of $450 million to accelerate adoption of cold-climate heat pumps and water heaters.

Michigan will receive $129 million to accelerate the siting, zoning and permitting of renewable energy, with hopes to achieve a goal of 60% renewable energy by 2035.