WASHINGTON – WE ACT for Environmental Justice shares its support, reinforces calls for transparency, and the overall importance of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) for communities in response to the eight awardee selections under the GGRF’s $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund and $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. On April 4, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the awardees as part of the larger $27 billion program. WE ACT, in coalition with partners including the Equitable and Just National Climate Forum, strongly supported the creation of the GGRF as part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. As this first group of awards is announced, we are reminded that this investment would not have been possible without the firm advocacy of countless environmental justice groups and communities from across the country. Final awards for the $7 billion Solar for All, which targets all investments in low income and disadvantaged communities, are expected to follow shortly.
Anastasia Gordon, WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s Federal Policy Director, responds:
“The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund is a critical incubator to realize a just energy transition that jointly addresses climate change and advances environmental justice. The $27 billion can achieve transformational, long-lasting positive outcomes for communities of color and areas of low income, including increasing equitable access to renewable energy, reducing energy burdens on households, and making critical improvements for air quality and public health.
WE ACT for Environmental Justice will be looking closely to see whether these environmental justice priorities, along with the core objectives of the GGRF, will be achieved through these two grant award programs, in addition to the upcoming Solar for All program. To achieve this, EPA and the awardees must prioritize funding non-fossil fuel projects and technology, as well as infrastructure that cause no harm to human health. We also reiterate our calls for transparency and ensuring the investments and benefits reach disadvantaged communities across the country that need them the most.”