US EPA grants $4.3 billion to state programs that incentivize emission cuts

The US Environmental Protection Agency selected 25 projects to receive grants totaling $4.3 billion with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions through state-level competitive grants and incentives.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants target greenhouse gas pollution reduction from the transportation, electric power, buildings, industry, agriculture and waste management sectors in 30 states, the EPA said July 22.

One of the selected 25 applicants include the "Clean Corridor Coalition," a joint venture project that could see $248.9 million to fund the deployment of electric vehicle charting infrastructure along the Interstate 95 corridor. The stations would support commercial zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and is planned to be built across New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and Maryland.

In California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District was selected to receive nearly $500 million for "transportation and freight decarbonization through incentives for electric charging equipment and zero-emission freight vehicles," the EPA said.

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection was selected for $396 million in grants that will be used to tackle emissions in the industrial sector, the EPA said. The funds will be distributed through a competitive grants program and "incentives for small-, medium- and large-scale decarbonization projects across the state."

The state of Michigan's Department of Environment could see $129 million in grants to bolster renewable energy permitting and development. The grants will incentivize local and Tribal governments and aim to allow the state to reach the needed scale to reach its 60% renewable energy generation goal by 2030.

In total, the proposed projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 971 million mt/CO2 by 2050, the EPA estimates.

The CPRG program will also dedicate $250 million to "dozens" of local and Tribal governments to assist in establishing Climate Action Plans. This new effort by the Biden administration to bolster and develop local climate policies would affect 45 states.

An additional $300 million in CPRG grants are expected to be announced for Tribes, Tribal consortia and territories later this summer, the EPA said.

The EPA is currently developing a program that would include a "robust" database of environmental product declarations, it said July 16.