Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. Thanks to the President’s leadership, the United States went into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad.
At COP29, the U.S. delegation promoted efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade. Key announcements included:
A final rule from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The final rule incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources for American consumers and reduce methane emissions – a potent greenhouse gas that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are experiencing today. The rule is one of over 100 actions that federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan.
An ambitious, first-of-its-kind framework that establishes domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlines actions that the U.S. government can take to safely and responsibly expand nuclear energy capacity in the United States.
A new suite of actions that will put the Federal Government on a pathway to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions, which account for roughly two-thirds of federal emissions, by 30% by 2030 and engage other governments and suppliers.
Last weekend, thanks in part to the tireless efforts of a robust U.S. delegation, the world reached a historic outcome to set an ambitious 2035 international climate finance goal. This goal will help mobilize the level of finance – from all sources – that developing countries need to accelerate the transition to clean, sustainable economies while opening up new markets for American-made electric vehicles, batteries, and other products.
In the years ahead, the Biden-Harris Administration is confident that the United States will continue this work: through our states and cities, our businesses, and our citizens, supported by durable legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate and clean energy in history.
Read President Biden’s statement on the COP29 outcome here.
CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory speaks at a COP29 press conference, highlighting the Biden Administration’s action on conservation and building sustainable and climate resilient communities on November 19, 2024. Read the White House press release about COP29 here.
Also, earlier in the month as part of his historic trip to the Amazon, President Biden announced that the United States has fulfilled his pledge to increase international climate finance to over $11 billion a year by 2024 – making the United States the largest bilateral provider of climate finance in the world. President Biden also signed a U.S. proclamation designating November 17th as International Conservation Day. The proclamation recognizes that conservation is critical to protecting the livelihoods of the people who depend on our world’s natural wonders, conserving our ecosystems and wildlife, ensuring our lands and waters can be enjoyed for generations to come, and helping avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
Three years ago this month, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL); over that time, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced over $568 billion in BIL funding, including over 66,000 projects and awards in all 50 states, D.C., the territories, and Tribal Nations. That’s part of the 74,000 total clean energy and infrastructure projects funded so far under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which includes historic investments in clean air water, climate action, and semiconductor manufacturing and is advancing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to strengthen limits on emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from most new, modified, and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired stationary combustion turbines, reducing exposure to dangerous air pollution for nearby communities. The proposal would ensure that new turbines built at power plants or industrial facilities — especially large ones that could operate for decades — would be among the most efficient and lowest-emitting turbines ever built. The proposal provides regulatory certainty for the power sector, while supporting the continued delivery of reliable and affordable electricity.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $2.2 billion in award commitments for two Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs that will help accelerate the commercial-scale deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen—a valuable energy product that can be produced with zero or near-zero carbon emissions. The two awardees are the Midwest Hydrogen Hub led by MachH2 and the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub led by HyVelocity. Building a strong and equitable domestic clean hydrogen economy is a key component of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ plan to strengthen America’s economic competitiveness, create new good-paying, high-quality jobs, and slash harmful emissions that jeopardize public health and pollute local ecosystems.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the final round of approximately $30 million in awards through the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program. This marks the successful delivery of more than $1.43 billion from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to support energy efficiency and protect residents and affordable housing from natural hazards in more than 4,700 homes in 42 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced $125 million for five projects in California and Utah that will help create new sources of water and improve drought resiliency. These investments incentivize conservation projects at a larger scale and will play an important role in helping communities develop local, drought-resistant water supplies by turning unusable water sources into clean, reliable ones.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the award of $1.2 billion to 39 State Departments of Transportation under the Low Carbon Transportation Materials Discretionary Grant Program. The investments will support continued growth in clean American manufacturing, boosting the competitiveness of clean U.S. industries and the creation of good manufacturing jobs while reducing pollution from the production of concrete, steel, and other bedrock materials of our economy.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it is investing more than $256 million in loans and grants to support more than 1,100 clean energy projects in 40 states through the Rural Energy for America Program, a program that has seen record demand in response to historic funding provided by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. These new projects will lower costs, expand access to clean energy and strengthen American farms and small businesses.
DOI took the next step in responsibly managing the future of the Colorado River Basin by releasing five proposed alternatives to guide Post-2026 Operations. As Basin partners continue to work towards a consensus agreement for how to operate the Colorado River, the range of alternatives provides the framework for a realistic and fair path to meet the goals and needs of the communities and users that rely on this important and diminishing water source.
DOE announced over $17 million for 61 local and territorial governments to improve energy efficiency, reduce climate pollution, and lower overall energy use through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
DOE announced that Georgia is launching its federal Home Energy Rebate programs, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act, to bring down costs for energy efficiency improvements and clean energy upgrades. Georgia’s launch is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s nationwide initiative to provide $8.8 billion in Federal funding for states, territories, and Tribes to lower energy costs and increase efficiency in American homes.
USDA Forest Service announced an investment of more than $265 million to conserve nearly 335,000 acres of ecologically and economically significant forestlands across the nation in partnership with states, thanks to funding from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
DOI announced more than $140 million in fiscal year 2024 funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to address dangerous and polluting abandoned mine lands, create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs and catalyze economic opportunity in coal communities across West Virginia.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced plans to support seven multi-year projects to advance climate resilience in remote Alaskan communities. The recommended projects will advance NOAA Fisheries’ ability to support climate resilience and food security in remote Alaska communities, engage Indigenous Knowledge holder voices in NOAA Fisheries’ science and management and strengthen collaborations with tribal governments and Indigenous communities.
EPA released a draft of the Interim Framework for Advancing Consideration of Cumulative Impacts, providing agency programs and regional offices with tools and principles to consider cumulative impacts in their work. This work is based on the best available science on how pollution and other burdens interact to affect individuals’ and communities’ health and well-being.
EPA released the “National Strategy to Prevent Plastic Pollution,” outlining opportunities for action to protect communities from the impacts of plastic production and waste and detailing how government agencies, businesses, non-profits, and communities can take additional action to prevent plastic pollution.
EPA released their third annual progress report, highlighting the unprecedented significant achievements the agency has made to protect people from PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, under its PFAS Strategic Roadmap and the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to protect communities from the impacts of forever chemicals.
U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS released final regulations that will help entities that co-own clean energy projects access clean energy tax credits through elective pay – commonly known as direct pay, enabling entities and organizations to access the full value of clean energy incentives and helps projects get built more quickly and affordably to reduce costs and benefit businesses and communities. The guidance also provides greater clarity and flexibility for direct pay eligible entities that want to jointly invest in clean energy projects.
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“At #COP29 I joined @BCSECleanEnergy, @USGBC & @Climate_Center to highlight the importance of partnership in the climate movement. Under @POTUS & @VP, we’ve made historic progress toward tackling climate change and our partners will remain critical to carrying forward this work.” [X Post, 11/19/24]
“We’re announcing up to $2.2B for regional clean hydrogen hubs. This is a huge milestone for @ENERGY‘s Hydrogen Hubs program to solidify our commitment to strengthening America’s energy security, boost our global competitiveness & tackle the climate crisis.” [X Post, 11/21/24]
“3 years ago, @POTUS’ Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gave @Interior historic resources to advance transformative change, from tackling legacy pollution, to revitalizing ecosystems, to delivering clean water to Tribes. We are stronger and more resilient because of it.” [X Post, 11/15/24]
“@USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities is about equipping producers with the tools to be profitable & sustainable. It was great to hear from growers about the excitement for this initiative, which is helping them tap into new climate-friendly markets.#COP29” [X Post, 11/19/24]
U.S. Department of Energy: Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations’ (OECD) Midwest Hydrogen Hub briefing with the Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2)
o Summary: OCED is inviting the public to join a virtual regional briefing to discuss the Midwest Hydrogen Hub, which is in the early stages of planning potential projects across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan, with the potential to expand into other Midwestern states. This briefing, co-hosted with the MachH2 team, will provide more details on the Hub and its activities during Phase 1 of the project. There will also be a moderated feedback session for community members to ask questions, voice concerns, and hare other considerations with OCED and the project team. Please email MidwestH2Hub@hq.doe.govwith any questions; they will aim to address these during the briefing. You may also reach the OCED H2Hubs team at Engage_H2Hubs@hq.doe.gov with general questions or comments about the H2Hubs program.
U.S. Department of Energy: OCED’s Gulf Hydrogen Hub Briefing with HyVelocity
o Summary: OCED is inviting the public to join a virtual regional briefing to discuss the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub, which is in the early stages of planning potential projects across Texas and the U.S. Gulf Coast. This briefing, co-hosted with the HyVelocity team, will provide more details on the Hub and its activities during Phase 1 of the project. The briefing will also include a moderated feedback session for community members to ask questions, voice concerns, and share other considerations with OCED and the project team. Please email GulfCoastH2Hub@hq.doe.gov with any questions; they will aim to address these during the briefing. You may also reach the OCED H2Hubs team at Engage_H2Hubs@hq.doe.gov with general questions or comments about the H2Hubs program.
o Date: Thursday, December 12 from 12:00-1:00PM CT
Applications and Funding Opportunities
President Biden’s American Climate Corps
o Summary: American Climate Corps members will gain the skills necessary to access good-paying jobs that are aligned with high-quality employment opportunities after they complete their paid training or service program.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Pesticides Safety Grants Technical Assistance Program
o Summary: EPA is soliciting applications for a cooperative agreement of up to $1.47 million to provide technical assistance with grants administration and compliance for grantees of the Farmworker Training and Education Program for Pesticide Safety and Pesticides Health Care Initiative agreements described above. This Grants Technical Assistance agreement will ensure that grantees have the support and resources necessary to manage EPA cooperative agreements. The grantee will also create resources to help organizations with the application process and preparing applications for pesticide worker safety cooperative agreements in the future. The technical assistance agreement will also be five years to align with the project periods for the agreements it will support.
o Deadline: December 5, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
USDA Forest Service: Wood Innovations Program
o Summary: The funding, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, is available through the Forest Service’s three key grant programs to support the forest products economy: Wood Innovations Grant, Community Wood Grant, and Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant Programs. The agency is seeking proposals that support innovative uses of sustainably sourced wood in construction, as a renewable energy source, and in manufactured and processed products. These programs also provide direct support to expand and retrofit wood energy systems and wood products manufacturing facilities nationwide. The Forest Service is requesting proposals from eligible entities in the private, non-profit, and government sectors including tribes, local and state governments, businesses and for-profit entities, institutions of higher education, as well as public utility, fire, conservation, and school districts, among others.
Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant Program: December 18, 2024
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Farmworker Training and Education Program for Pesticide Safety
o Summary: EPA is soliciting applications from community-based farmworker nonprofit organizations with experience in training agricultural workers or pesticide handlers or developing educational materials for them to support training, materials development and outreach to farmworker communities on pesticide safety, as well as to help them understand their rights under the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard – a regulation that seeks to limit occupational pesticide exposure. The new program builds on decades of efforts by previous grantees while also including new measures to ensure projects are tailored to the need and culture of farmworker communities and in farmworkers’ native languages. EPA anticipates awarding two cooperative agreements to community-based farmworker organizations. A total of up to $6.3 million will be awarded to these five-year agreements beginning in 2025.
o Deadline: December 19, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Pesticides Health Care Initiative
o Summary: EPA is soliciting applications from nonprofit organizations with experience training health care providers who serve farmworker populations for a five-year cooperative agreement of up to $2.1 million to improve health care providers’ ability to prevent, recognize, treat, manage and report pesticide-related illness. This will be accomplished in part by strengthening health care providers’ consideration of nonmedical factors influencing the health of patients at high risk of pesticide illness – the conditions in which they are born, grow, work, live and age.
o Deadline: December 19, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service: Agricultural Conservation Easement Program
o Summary: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications for the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for fiscal year 2025, which includes $472 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds for this year. ACEP protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values of eligible land by limiting nonagricultural uses which negatively affect agricultural uses and conservation values, protect grazing uses and related conservation values by restoring or conserving eligible grazing land, and protecting and restoring and enhancing wetlands on eligible land. Interested producers, landowners, and partners should apply by December 20, 2024 at their local NRCS office to be considered for the state-led funding cycle.
o Summary: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $75 million total from Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2026 for grants to fund a new Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program. Applications for Round One of this opportunity opened in 2022, with selectees announced in 2023. The application period for Round Two of this funding opportunity is now open and closes on December 20, 2024. For this second round of funding, EPA is focusing on preventing the generation of wasted food and increasing its recycling through composting. The program provides $39 million to fund one cooperative agreement that includes developing and implementing a national consumer wasted food reduction campaign, expanding the market for and sales of compost, and increasing education and outreach to households on composting.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia and for Communities
o Summary: The recycling funding for Tribes and intertribal consortia will provide approximately $20 million total in awards ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million each. The recycling funding for communities will provide approximately $58 million total in awards ranging from $500,000 to $5 million each. This includes projects that will improve collection, transport, systems, and processes related to post-use materials that can be recovered, reused, recycled, repaired, refurbished, or composted.
For Tribes and Intertribal Consortia: March 14, 2025
NASA: Ecological Conservation Funding
o Summary: The NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) seeks proposals for projects that apply Earth observations to improve or develop decision-making activities in ecological conservation and management. Any area of ecological conservation is welcome (e.g., invasive species, protected area management, fisheries or wildlife management, habitat restoration, ecosystem services, rewilding, biodiversity protection).
o Informational Webinars: Virtual meetings for potential proposers will occur
Friday, November 15th from 1:00-3:00 PM ET
Monday, January 13th from 1:00-3:00 PM ET
o Deadline:
Notices of Intent Due: February 14, 2025
Proposals Due: March 14, 2025
U.S. Department of Energy: Energy in Rural and Remote Areas (ERA) Program
o Summary: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $1 billion total from Fiscal Year 2022 to Fiscal Year 2026 for grants to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people. The ERA Program aims to fund community-driven energy projects that demonstrate new energy systems, deliver measurable benefits to customers, and build clean energy knowledge and capacity throughout rural America. DOE opened a Notice of Funding Opportunity for $400 million in October 2024. Concept papers are due by February 27, 2025, and full applications are due by August 28, 2025.
o Deadline: Concept papers are due by February 27, 2025, and full applications are due by August 28, 2025.
Requests for Input
Department of the Interior: Draft Guidance for Regulatory Improvement Grant funding
o Summary: The Department of the Interior is soliciting feedback on draft guidance on how states can apply for up to $40 million each in Regulatory Improvement Grant funding available under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Under the draft guidance, states are eligible to receive a Plugging Standards regulatory improvement grant of up to $20 million, and a Program Improvement regulatory improvement grant of up to $20 million, for a total of $40 million per state. By incentivizing states to improve their standards, procedures and orphaned well programs, these grants will help better protect the environment and help prevent the creation of new orphaned wells.
o Link: Comments on the draft grant guidance can be submitted, via email, to orphanedwells@ios.doi.gov
o Deadline: November 12, 2024 at 11:59 PM PT
White House Office of Management and Budget: Federal Framework for Public Participation and Community Engagement
o Summary: The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been working to develop a Federal framework for public participation and community engagement over the past year. To help agencies improve opportunities for public participation and community engagement (participation and engagement), OMB wants public input on two documents: (1) Draft guidance for Federal agencies that provides common definitions and guiding principles for participation and engagement, a sample framework to help decide when and how to involve the public, and steps to help broaden public engagement; and (2) A draft outline for a toolkit to help agencies plan, implement, and assess the impact of meaningful participation and engagement. More details are included in this blog post from OMB.
American Climate Corps: The American Climate Corps is a workforce training and service initiative that will ensure more young people have access to the skills-based training necessary for good-paying careers in the clean energy and climate resilience economy. The American Climate Corps will mobilize a new, diverse generation of more than 20,000 Americans – putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice, all while creating pathways to high-quality, good-paying clean energy and climate resilience jobs in the public and private sectors after they complete their paid training program.
Environmental Justice Climate Corps (EJCC) Program: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has partnered with AmeriCorps to create the Environmental Justice Climate Corps (EJCC) Program, a new partnership launched to open doors for people to serve in careers that benefit disadvantaged and other low-income communities. Applications for the Environmental Justice Climate Corps will open in early 2025, with a goal for its first cohort to start later that year. To sign up for updates on the program, visit EPA’s Environmental Justice Climate Corps Program website.
CleanEnergy.gov: A one-stop shop for information on President Biden’s Investing in Americaagenda and how the Inflation Reduction Act helps lower energy costs for consumers and small businesses while creating good-paying jobs as America’s clean energy economy and manufacturing sectors grow.
Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST): Geospatial mapping tool that identifies areas across the nation where communities are faced with significant burdens. These burdens are organized into eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development.
Climate Capital Guidebook: Guidebook providing a simple, comprehensive map of capital programs across the federal government that are available to climate-related start-ups, small- and medium-sized businesses, and their investors.
Conservation.gov: An information hub supporting locally led efforts to conserve and restore our nation’s lands, waters, and wildlife.
Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding Navigator: Find hundreds of available Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and other programs across a range of federal agencies in these categories: Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Utility Scale Energy, Resiliency, Lead and Healthy Housing, Brownfield and Waste Management, Transportation, Broadband, Workforce Development and Environmental Justice.
Department of Transportation Navigator: Explore federal funding opportunities that help plan for and deliver transformative infrastructure projects and services.
Direct Pay Through the Inflation Reduction Act: Find resources on the Inflation Reduction Act’s “elective pay” (often called “direct pay”) provisions, through which tax-exempt and governmental entities can take advantage of tax credits for building clean energy projects.
DOE Interactive Map: Interactive tool showcasing where clean energy investments are occurring across the United States thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Energy Savings Hub | Department of Energy: Access resources made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, which will help lower your energy costs and make your home safer and more comfortable while helping the planet.
EnvironmentalJustice.gov: A one-stop-shop that highlights the Administration’s actions on environmental justice, features stories of progress across America, and shares tools, resources, and funding opportunities to empower communities to navigate federal programs and advance environmental justice in their neighborhoods.
Environmental Justice Scorecard: Find information about what federal agencies are doing to advance environmental justice in communities across America, with Phase Two of the Environmental Justice Scorecard outlining the progress made by 24 federal agencies in Fiscal Year 2023.
Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers: 16 centers across the country are now accepting requests for training and other assistance to build capacity for navigating federal grant application systems, developing strong grant proposals, and effectively managing grant funding. If you are interested in technical assistance for the Community Change Grants $2 billion Notice of Funding Opportunity, please visit: Community Change Grants Technical Assistance.
Federal Flood Standard Support Tool (Beta): The Federal Flood Standard Support Tool helps federal agencies and their non-federal partners and grantees identify if a federally funded project will be located within a FFRMS floodplain using the freeboard value approach (FVA), and climate-informed science approach (CISA).
Grants.gov: Learn about current federal grant opportunities.
Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook: This guidebook provides an overview of the clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation-related tax incentives and investment programs in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Inflation Reduction Act Tribal Guidebook: Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Energy and Climate Investments in Indian Country, which provides descriptions of the law’s tax incentives and funding programs for which Tribes are eligible.
Invest.gov: Interactive map showing the historic public and private sector investments President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is bringing to states and territories across America.
Investing in America Technical Assistance Guide: Guide highlighting programs that help communities navigate the more than 100 federal technical assistance programs that can help communities deliver infrastructure, clean energy, and climate resilience projects.
Justice40 Covered Programs List: List of 500+ federal programs across 19 federal agencies working to advance the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which aims to deliver 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.
Tribal Access to Capital Clearinghouse: A website that provides a searchable database of federal funding opportunities, including grants and loans, available to Tribal Nations and Native businesses.
Wetland and Water Protection Resource Guide: Resource Guide highlighting technical assistance and funding opportunities available across the federal government for Tribes, States, Territories, local governments, private landowners, and non-governmental organizations to advance water resource protection.
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