The federal government has approved a $129 million grant for Michigan’s work to cut climate pollution. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the grants today.
Debra Shore is the Midwest regional administrator for the agency. She said it will provide incentives and assistance to local and tribal governments to accelerate renewable energy projects.
“That will help spur the adoption of renewable energy at a scale and pace needed to reach Michigan's ambitious goals of 60% renewable energy by 2030,” she explained.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate plan’s ultimate goal is to be carbon neutral by 2050.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) said the grant money will be used to establish the Renewables Ready Communities Program (RRC Program).
The initiative includes:
- Helping local and tribal governments that approve and host utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage through local processes.
- Creating the Brownfield Renewable Energy Pilot Program to provide grants for renewable energy projects on commercial or industrial sites that may be contaminated.
- Strengthening EGLE’s Renewable Energy Academy to develop technical assistance for local and tribal governments to improve planning, siting, and permitting processes.
- Developing a Renewables Ready Communities Strategic Plan to assess where and how the state should direct efforts for utility-scale renewable energy projects and brownfield renewable energy projects to meet 2030 goals.
- Train the workforce needed to build enough renewable energy projects.
“You know, Michigan already had their climate plan that they put together, and the groundwork that laid for this project was really instrumental to them being successful. Because in order to meet the ambitious goal that they set, they needed this type of catalyst. And that’s very exciting,” said Erin Newman, Climate Change Mitigation Coordinator for the EPA’s Region 5 which includes Michigan.
Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee said in an EPA release, "This new funding will ensure that our communities have the resources they need to protect the environment and bring clean energy manufacturing jobs back to Michigan."
"If we want to address the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America's clean energy transition, we must fund critical investments that will make a difference in our communities. That's what we are doing with this investment," said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell in the release.
Michigan's grant was one of 25 across the nation totaling $4.3 billion.
