Inflation Reduction Act/Climate Pollution Reduction Grant: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Awards $99,999,999 to Metroplan/Fort Smith/Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued a July 22nd press release announcing it is awarding $4.3 billion in climate pollution reduction grants to 25 applicants.

The following Arkansas related applicants were awarded $99,999,999.00:

• Lead applicant/Metropolitan Planning Organization for Central Arkansas (“Metroplan”).
• Coalition Members – City of Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

The grants are authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act and intended to facilitate the development of the implementation of plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefitting low-income and disadvantaged communities.

The sectors involved in the Arkansas grant include:

• Agriculture in Natural and Working lands.
• Buildings.
• Electric power.
• Transportation.

EPA describes the Arkansas related grant as funding the implementation of shovel-ready, impactful, and transformative projects including the development of green networks to restore lands and promote active transportation in transit. It characterizes the application as supporting the transition to efficient and electrified transportation and improved building efficiency.

EPA further states that the information provided by the Arkansas grantees indicates the projects can reduce greenhouse gas by:

• Promoting carbon sequestration projects to reduce transportation emissions and protect and restore natural infrastructure corridors.
• Construction of bicycle and pedestrian trails to improve electric bike access, including vouchers reserved for income-qualified applicants.
• Connect low-income and disadvantaged communities to jobs, education, services, and natural places.
• Improve transportation efficiency by incentivizing the conversion of fossil fuel public fleets to electric vehicles and deploy electric vehicle charging infrastructure for public-use and for fleet operators.
• Pilot innovative funding solutions to reduce energy consumption in buildings with the establishment of a revolving, low-interest loan fund for small property access to clean energy projects with the focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities.
• Establish a program for small grants to help organizations to participate in energy savings performance contracts with the focus on public buildings and low-income and disadvantaged communities.

A link to the EPA press release can be found here.