The Biden administration on Monday (22 July) announced the selection of 25 projects to receive $4.3bn in grants through the president’s signature climate law.
The selected projects were pitched by 30 different state, local and tribal governments across the country.
The grants will support deployment of clean energy technology across sectors, ranging from housing to agriculture, and be distributed to winners by early autumn this year. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it has reviewed nearly 300 applications that requested more than $30bn.
According to Reuters, the administration said that, together, the selected projects will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas pollution by as much as 150 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030.
“These grants will help state and local governments improve the air quality and health of their communities, while accelerating America’s progress toward our climate goals,” said John Podesta, senior advisor to President Joe Biden for International Climate Policy.
The Biden administration is looking to squeeze in as many grants as possible that have been earmarked by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) before the upcoming 2024 election. Former President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers are likely to repeal several of the IRA grants if elected.
Speaking of the grants, Biden said: “When I think of climate change, I think about jobs – good-paying, union jobs that put Americans to work, rebuild our nation’s aging infrastructure and support our transition to a clean energy future.
“As climate change continues to fuel more extreme impacts on communities across the country, we are using every tool in our toolbox to reduce pollution, lower families’ energy costs, advance environmental justice and make our communities more resilient.”
With Biden announcing the end of his re-election campaign on Sunday (21 July), Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to replace him as the Democratic nominee in the upcoming election. Harris has a similar approach to Biden on the climate, having supported Environmental Protection Agency regulations during her time as attorney general of California.
