(AGENPARL) – lun 22 luglio 2024 Issued: Jul 22, 2024 (2:17pm EDT)
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Rhode Island to benefit from a $450 million grant for community-driven
solutions to cut climate pollution across New England
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources is part of a coalition selected by the
EPA to receive a $450 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to tackle
climate change, improve air quality, and advance environmental justice
BOSTON (JULY 22, 2024) – Today, as part of the Biden-Harris
Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency announced the general competition selection of the New
England Heat Pump Accelerator to receive a $450 million Climate Pollution
Reduction Grant to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the
climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and
accelerate America’s clean energy transition.
The New England Heat Pump Accelerator is a coalition application led by
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, in partnership
with the Maine Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future,
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services, and Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources. The
selected application will fund projects across Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island that will rapidly accelerate
the adoption of cold-climate air-source heat pumps, heat pump water heaters,
and ground source heat pumps. The project will support coalition partners in
providing resources for more than 500,000 single-family and multifamily
residential buildings.
“President Biden believes in the power of community-driven solutions to
fight climate change, protect public health, and grow our economy. Thanks to
his leadership, the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program will deliver
unprecedented resources to states, local governments, and Tribes to fund the
solutions that work best in their communities,” said EPA Administrator
Michael S. Regan. “Selected recipients have put forward ambitious plans to
advance sustainable agriculture, deploy clean industrial technologies, cut
emissions and energy costs in homes and commercial buildings, and provide
cost- and energy-efficient heating and cooling to communities, creating
economic and workforce development opportunities along the way.”
“No community should have to worry about a future of heat waves, flooding,
and sea level rise; and every community should be able to seize the
opportunities of a transition to a clean energy future. Today’s announcement
underscores our commitment to addressing the climate crisis head-on through
collaborative, community-driven solutions,” said EPA Regional Administrator
David W. Cash. “The $450 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant for the
New England Heat Pump Accelerator will not only advance our region’s clean
energy transition and create good jobs, but also deliver significant benefits
to our communities by improving air quality, reducing energy costs, and
fostering environmental justice. By working together, Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island are setting a powerful example
of regional cooperation and innovation in tackling climate change.”
“The federal government is revving up its engine to help people make the
switch to cleaner and cheaper home energy options. Heat pumps are reliable,
efficient and offer long-term economic and environmental benefits, helping
consumers save big on their energy bills while reducing America’s dependence
on foreign oil. This is a smart investment in incentivizing people to make
the upgrade to heat pumps so they can save money, increase the comfort and
safety of their homes, and build cleaner communities. The more adopters, the
more people will see the benefits that heat pumps generate in terms of home
heating and cooling,” said U.S. Senator Jack Reed.
“The New England Heat Pump Accelerator will advance progress toward the
Ocean State’s clean energy goals and ensuring a safe, livable planet for our
children and grandchildren,” said U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who
helped shape major climate provisions included in the Inflation Reduction Act.
 “Thanks to Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act, we’re sending resources
directly into communities across Rhode Island to help reduce climate pollution
and make energy-efficient heating and cooling more accessible and affordable
for families.”
“Transitioning to energy efficient appliances like heat pumps is a smart
move that can lower energy bills and save Rhode Islanders money during hot
summers and cold winters alike,” said U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner.
“I’m glad that this federal funding will ultimately put more money in the
pockets of working people in RI and across the country.”
“Thanks to today’s announcement, thousands of residents in Rhode Island
will soon be able to leverage federal support to upgrade their homes,” said
U.S. Representative Gabe Amo. “These resources will help Ocean State
homeowners save on their monthly bills and I am encouraged these energy
efficient transformations will also accelerate our commitment to reduce our
state’s carbon footprint, meet our clean energy goals, and combat the
climate crisis. I applaud President Joe Biden and Administrator Michael Regan
for their commitment to invest in Rhode Island and bring down costs for
families.
“This federal grant will help Rhode Island build on our successful Clean Heat
RI program which is already helping to deploy heat pump installations across
the state, lower costs for residents and advance our emission reduction
objectives,” said Governor Dan McKee. “Today’s announcement is a big climate
win for Team Rhode Island and our partnering states. Together, we are proud to
receive the only award in New England and the second largest in the nation
from today’s EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant awards. We thank the
Biden-Harris Administration, our congressional delegation and all federal
partners for continuing to invest in Rhode Island’s future.”
EPA made its selections through a rigorous grants competition that was
designed to be fair and impartial. The Agency reviewed nearly 300 applications
that were submitted by entities from across the country and requested a total
of nearly $33 billion in funding.  
The 25 selected applications—from states, a Tribe, local governments, and
coalitions of these entities—will receive federal funding to implement local
and regional solutions. Many of these projects can be expanded and provide
examples that other states, local governments, Tribes, and even businesses can
replicate in their work to tackle the climate crisis.
Together, these selected projects will implement ambitious climate pollution
reduction measures designed by states, Tribes, and local governments that will
achieve significant cumulative GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond. When
estimates provided by all selected applicants are combined, the proposed
projects would reduce greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 971 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050, roughly the emissions from 5
million average homes’ energy use each year for over 25 years.
EPA expects to announce up to an additional $300 million in selections under
the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program for Tribes, Tribal consortia,
and territories later this summer.
State, Tribal, and local action is vital to deliver on the President’s
commitment to reduce climate pollution by over 50 percent by 2030 and achieve
net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The innovative measures contained in
the selected applications, developed with input from local communities, are
expected to achieve substantial public health benefits such as reducing
exposure to extreme heat, improving air quality, reducing energy burden for
lower income Americans, improving climate resilience, and providing workforce
and economic development opportunities, particularly in low-income and
disadvantaged communities.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants advance President Biden’s historic
Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits
of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to
disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and
overburdened by pollution.  
The grants will fund projects supporting the deployment of technologies and
programs to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful pollution across the
country and build the infrastructure, housing, industry, and competitive
economy needed for a clean energy future. These grants will also help
businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and job
creation in new and growing industries, and support development of training
programs to prepare workers. EPA expects to award the funds later this year,
once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
Many of the proposed projects contained in the selected applications announced
today, as well as the $250 million in planning grant funding that EPA is
providing under the CPRG program for development of Climate Action Plans by
state, local, and Tribal governments across the country, will complement the
Biden-Harris Administration’s historic federal actions and national climate
strategies across sectors. Those include: the U.S. National Blueprint for
Transportation Decarbonization, the Administration’s efforts to achieve 100%
clean electricity by 2035 and make zero emissions construction common practice
by 2030, the Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, the U.S. Buildings
Decarbonization Blueprint, the Administration’s climate-smart agriculture
efforts and Nature Based Solutions Roadmap, the U.S. Methane Emissions
Reduction Action Plan, the National Climate Resilience Framework, and more.
Learn more about the selected applications
Learn more about the CPRG program
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