grant
Xcel gets $70 million for Colorado clean energy storage
The U.S. Department of Energy granted $70 million to Xcel Energy to help build clean energy storage batteries in Colorado and Minnesota, cementing the financing for groundbreaking technologies the state’s largest utility needs.
Minn. will spend $3M IRA grant on climate plan outreach
Frank Jossi of the Energy News Network writes about Minnesota's plan to use Inflation Reduction Act funds to study the impacts of emission reductions in disadvantaged communities and other initiatives.
In a nutshell:
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has secured a $3 million federal grant to enhance the state's climate strategies, with a particular focus on benefiting lower-income communities. The grant, provided under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, will support the development and evaluation of climate action plans and fund initiatives to implement those plans. The MPCA plans to conduct a study on the potential impact of emission reductions in disadvantaged communities, aligning with the Biden administration's Justice 40 Initiative, which seeks to ensure 40% of the benefits go to these communities.
Key quote:
David Bael, environmental economic analyst at the Pollution Control Agency said the qualitative benefits analysis will implement a “health impact assessment” focused on low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The big picture:
Greenhouse gas emissions have far-reaching health impacts, particularly for disadvantaged communities. The disproportionate exposure to pollution in these communities exacerbates existing health disparities, leading to increased respiratory and cardiovascular problems. Studies have shown that emissions from various sources, such as power plants and transportation, contribute to the prevalence of fine particles, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, all of which pose significant health risks. Addressing these emissions and implementing climate solutions in an equitable manner is crucial to mitigating the adverse health effects faced by vulnerable populations and promoting environmental justice.
For more details, check out the article at Energy News Network.
For additional context, read Susan Anenberg's excellent piece focusing on how the benefits of climate mitigation—as opposed to costs—can serve to motivate action.
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Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Oregon lawmakers make a play for more federal climate money
The Oregon Legislature ended its session late last week by passing a suite of policies aimed at leveraging new federal climate funding — in large part by beefing up the state’s own agencies.
triblive.com
Pitt offering $300K grant to group that comes up with best carbon neutrality plan
Students, faculty, staff and outside organizations are encouraged to develop “an integrated, impactful, durable and feasible solution to advance carbon neutrality with lasting benefits” to the Pitt community.
Louisiana will receive $25M federal grant to plug orphaned oil and gas wells
Louisiana will use a $25 million grant to plug, cap and reclaim up to 900 orphaned oil and gas wells across the state in the first phase of a $4.7 billion federal program included in last year's infrastructure law.
Photo by Alexander Tsang on Unsplash
Peabody awarded sensors to monitor pollution
When residents opposed to a planned new peaker power plant began looking for data on air pollution in Peabody, they soon discovered a concerning fact — there is none.
Newsletter
www.nytimes.com
Black environmentalists talk about climate and anti-racism
It’s impossible to live sustainably without tackling inequality, activists say.
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