EPA announces $3M for New Jersey to plan innovative climate projects across the state

NEW JERSEY – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Thursday announced it will award $3 million for New Jersey to plan innovative strategies to cut climate pollution and build clean energy economies across the state.

Earlier this month, EPA annouced the availability of the funds, which represent the first funding going to states, local governments, Tribes, and territories from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program created by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Later this year, EPA will launch a competition for $4.6 billion in funding to implement projects and initiatives included in the plans. New Jersey will be eligible to receive that implementation funding also because it has opted in to receive the planning grant.

New Jersey is among the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico that are eligible to receive $3 million each in EPA Climate Pollution Reduction planning grant funds. New Jersey will use the funds to augment planning already underway in the state in collaboration with partners, including municipalities statewide, and conduct meaningful engagement, including with overburdened communities throughout the state that are often the most impacted by climate change.

New Jersey met its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction goal years ahead of schedule and has multiple efforts underway to mitigate the impacts of climate change. New Jersey will use these funds to support its ongoing effort to achieve a low carbon economy and reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. This includes expanding clean energy infrastructure and building resilient communities across the state.

“I want to congratulate the State of New Jersey for being among the first states to sign on to this substantial opportunity. New Jersey is a national climate leader and model for other states searching for ways to make the most out of the once-in-a-generation Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “It is so important that states and local governments across the country take advantage of this planning funding, because behind it comes an even more substantial investment to do the work and governments that don’t opt in now can’t take advantage of that implementation funding later this year.”

“New Jersey thanks its congressional delegation and the EPA for once again prioritizing and supporting innovative climate action,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Now more than ever, it’s clear that we must confront the urgency of the worsening climate crisis by leveraging every resource and tool at our disposal. Made possible by President Biden’s historic Inflation Reduction Act, these funds will provide support for updates to our foundational climate plans and allow us to further prioritize and implement our accelerated clean energy goals and ongoing efforts to build resilient communities across the state.”

“New Jersey is excited to advance its critical work of reducing and responding to climate change in partnership with our colleagues at USEPA whose support will bring more resources to our collective efforts,” said State Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette. “This historic program will enable us to accelerate New Jersey’s Global Warming Response Act initiatives, which are centered on planning and implementing measures that reduce emissions of climate pollutants, improve air quality and public health, and better serve our communities.”

“The state of New Jersey, having met its greenhouse gas reduction goals set in 2020 ahead of schedule, will utilize these funds to craft modernized approaches that will continue reducing carbon emissions, harmful air pollution, and aid the state in achieving a low carbon economy for its citizens by 2050,” said Senator Bob Menendez. ”The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program will provide New Jerseyans and their families the clean energy infrastructure, and the successful clean energy economy they deserve, especially those communities overburdened by the impacts of climate change.”

“Rising sea levels, storm surge, and pollution highlight the urgency of tackling climate change and investing in protecting New Jersey communities, including communities of color that disproportionally face these environmental, health, and economic impacts,” said Senator Cory Booker. “This funding will help our state plan for a low-carbon future by building more clean energy infrastructure and more resilient communities.”

“For years now, I’ve been working to protect our environment for future generations and to claw more federal tax dollars back to Jersey from Washington. This federal investment — secured through legislation I helped pass — will help protect our air and drinking water, combat pollution, fight climate change, and create jobs. The more federal tax dollars that we get back to Jersey, the less our communities have to charge in local taxes — and I’m all about lowering taxes,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05).

“New Jersey families struggle every day with the effects of climate change, including flooding, heat waves, extreme storms, and rising energy costs,” said Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11). “The Inflation Reduction Act, which I was proud to champion in Congress, is providing critical federal support to state and local governments in the fight against climate change without raising taxes. These federal grants provide New Jersey communities with the resources to grow clean energy jobs, build healthier neighborhoods, and reduce climate emissions.”

President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act includes historic funding to combat climate change while creating good-paying jobs and advancing environmental justice. Today’s announcement builds on $550 million announced last week for EPA’s new Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program and $100 million announced earlier this year for environmental justice grants to support underserved and overburdened communities.

Additionally, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will award nearly $27 billion to leverage private capital for clean energy and clean air investments across the country.

The CPRG planning grants will support states, territories, Tribes, municipalities and air agencies, in the creation of comprehensive, innovative strategies for reducing pollution and ensuring that investments maximize benefits, especially for low-income and disadvantaged communities. These climate plans will include:

• Greenhouse gas emissions inventories;
• Emissions projections and reduction targets;
• Economic, health, and social benefits, including to low-income and disadvantaged communities;
• Plans to leverage other sources of federal funding including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act;
• Workforce needs to support decarbonization and a clean energy economy; and
• Future government staffing and budget needs.

In program guidance released earlier this month, EPA describes how the agency intends to award and manage CPRG funds to eligible entities, including states, metropolitan areas, Tribes, and territories.

This funding for climate planning will be followed later this year by a national grant competition for $4.6 billion in implementation grant funding that will support the expeditious implementation of investment-ready policies created by the CPRG planning grants, programs, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near term. Through the CPRG program, EPA will support the development and deployment of technologies and solutions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and harmful air pollution, as well as transition America to a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans.

By summer 2023, EPA Regional Offices expect to award and administer the funding agreements once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.