Connecticut Delegation, Governor Lamont Applaud $700 Million From Inflation Reduction Act For Community-Driven Solutions To Cut Climate Pollution Across New England

HARTFORD-U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), U.S. Representatives John Larson (D-Conn.-01),Joe Courtney (D-Conn.-02), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.-03),Jim Himes (D-Conn.-04), and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.-5), and Governor Ned Lamont announced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has selected 3 projects in Connecticut to receive a total of over $700 million in federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act to tackle climate change, improve air quality, and advance environmental justice. The grants are funded through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program created by the Biden-Harris Administration's Investing in America agenda.

"These three grants, totaling more than $700 million from the Inflation Reduction Act, are massive wins for Connecticut. They will lower energy costs by helping more people install heat pumps, continue to build out our electric vehicle charging infrastructure along I-95, and provide major upgrades to Union Station. These awards are the perfect example for why this legislation was so historic; it funds projects that create good-paying jobs, will cut costs for families, and help us achieve our climate goals. I'm proud to have advocated for this funding, and I look forward to seeing it make a big difference in our state," said Murphy.

"This hugely impactful federal investment attests to Connecticut's consistent commitment to fighting climate change- and our Congressional delegation's continuing teamwork. As important as its historic magnitude-tens of millions of dollars- is its message of environmental justice and equity. It enlists and empowers forces of environmental activism in communities disregarded far too long. It will be truly transformative," said Blumenthal.

"Today's announcement supports a clean energy future for Connecticut and our nation," said Larson. "The Connecticut delegation worked together to pass the Inflation Reduction Act to address climate change, bolster energy innovation, and lower costs for American families. This funding builds on this historic progress by upgrading critical energy infrastructure from heating and cooling technology to electric vehicle charging while creating good-paying jobs across New England."

"Major federal funding is coming to our region to reduce pollution thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, which is the largest climate investment in world history," said Courtney. "I applaud Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and their partners for leading game-changing projects that will create more jobs, advance energy efficiency, and cut emissions."

"I'm elated that the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection was selected as a grant recipient by the New England Heat Pump Accelerator Project. This funding will help lower household utility costs and reduce air pollution across Connecticut through the installation of heat pumps in single-family homes and multifamily residential buildings. Efforts like this are critical to removing economic barriers to our clean-energy economy, and I'm proud that the Northeast will showcase how integrating green technologies into existing infrastructure benefits both families and the environment," said Himes.

"During my time in Congress, I have advocated for investments to reduce pollution so our communities are healthier and part of the climate solution," said Hayes. "Today's grant announcement of over $700 million in Climate Pollution Reduction Grant funding to Connecticut and surrounding partner states is a giant step forward in achieving a greener future. I am grateful to the EPA for funding these projects and to the Biden-Harris Administration for prioritizing historic investment in climate action through the Inflation Reduction Act."

"This funding means more residents in Connecticut-and more importantly, more low-income residents in our state-will be able to realize the benefits of truly clean, safe, healthy, and energy-efficient heating and cooling. This multi-state initiative will also enable more equitable participation in the green economy," said Lamont."Thank you to the Biden Administration and the EPA for this Inflation Reduction Act opportunity, to our Congressional delegation for their support and efforts to pass the underlying legislation, to DEEP for taking the lead, and to our partner states across the region for their collaboration."

The three selected Climate Pollution Reduction Grant applications that benefit Connecticut are:

• The New England Heat Pump Accelerator, a coalition application led by Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, has been selected to receive $450 million, the second largest in the country. The selected application will fund projects across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island that will rapidly accelerate the adoption of cold-climate air-source heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and ground source heat pumps. The coalition will support its partners in providing resources for more than 500,000 single-family and multifamily residential buildings.
• The City of New Haven's proposal for a networked geothermal system for Union Station has been selected to receive nearly $9.5 million. The selected application will also provide renewable clean energy to surrounding mixed-income housing development adjacent to the train station. The selected application is a partnership between the City of New Haven, the Housing Authority of New Haven, and the New Haven Parking Authority.
• The Clean Corridor Coalition proposal for deploying electric vehicle charging infrastructure along I-95 for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles has been selected to receive $248.9 million. The selected application will also provide technical assistance for workforce development and corridor planning across Connecticut.

The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants advance President Biden's historic Justice40 Initiative, which aims to ensure 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain climate, clean energy, and other federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The grants will fund projects supporting the deployment of technologies and programs to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful pollution across the country and build the infrastructure, housing, industry, and competitive economy needed for a clean energy future. These grants will also help businesses capitalize on new opportunities, spur economic growth and job creation in new and growing industries, and support development of training programs to prepare workers.

###

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.