City of New Orleans Announces $49.9 Million EPA Award for Climate Pollution Reduction

July 22, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

City of New Orleans Announces $49.9 Million EPA Award for Climate Pollution Reduction

NEW ORLEANS - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the City of New Orleans has been awarded $49.9 million under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program. This significant funding will support the implementation of critical greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction measures over the next five years, reinforcing New Orleans' commitment to environmental sustainability and climate resilience. New Orleans is honored to be one of only three cities to receive funding through this program.

"As New Orleans works to reduce our emissions contributing to climate change, this substantial funding will fuel seven pivotal greenhouse gas reduction measures that align with a cross section of goals from the City's Climate Action Plan and the Southeastern Louisiana Priority Climate Action Plan (SELA PCAP)," said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. "This grant represents a significant investment in the health and resilience of our city and reaffirms our commitment to environmental stewardship and social equity. We are excited to lead the way in advancing our climate goals, improving the quality of life for our residents, and setting a powerful example for other cities to follow. Thank you to the EPA and our partners for their unwavering dedication to making New Orleans a more sustainable city."

"I'm excited to announce this grant, which is a monumental step for environmental and climate resilience efforts," said Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (LA-02). "It will enable New Orleans to implement critical greenhouse gas reduction measures, reinforcing our commitment to sustainability and the well-being of all Louisianians. It will also help significantly reduce the city's carbon footprint, promote economic and green job growth, and create a healthier environment. The planned projects, including reforesting underserved neighborhoods to combat urban 'heat islands,' expanding the Blue Bikes bike-sharing program, enhancing energy efficiency in municipal buildings, and providing residents with subsidies to install solar on their homes, demonstrate a comprehensive approach to achieving substantial GHG reductions and improving the quality of life in New Orleans."

The awarded funds will be directed toward seven key projects that align with the City's Climate Action Plan and the Southeastern Louisiana Priority Climate Action Plan (SELA PCAP). These projects focus on high-impact areas within the transportation and building sectors and are designed to deliver a high return on investment in terms of GHG reductions, helping New Orleans achieve its climate goals while enhancing the quality of life for its residents. The initiatives include:

• Bike Share Expansion: Increasing the Blue Bikes bike share fleet to 2,000 and extending services to historically underserved areas
• Commercial Building Benchmarking Program: Staffing and software to manage an energy benchmarking for commercial buildings
• E-Bike Rebates Program: Offering 3,000 point-of-sale e-bike rebates over five years, with additional subsidies for low-to-moderate-income (LMI) residents
• Municipal Building Decarbonization: Energy efficiency retrofits in 41 City buildings and installing rooftop solar panels on 14 municipal properties
• Protected Bikeways: Constructing seven miles of protected bikeways adjacent to downtown New Orleans
• Reforestation Plan: Planting 7,500 trees in underserved neighborhoods over five years
• Solar for All (SFA) Local Subsidies: Providing subsidies for 1,400 solar installations for LMI households, supplementing state SFA funding

"This historic CPRG funding, the City's largest ever investment in climate action, is a testament to our collaborative efforts and unwavering dedication to addressing climate change," said Office of Resilience & Sustainability Deputy Chief Resilience OfficerGreg Nichols. "We look forward to working with our community partners to implement these projects and drive significant environmental and social benefits for New Orleans."

The City's Federal Infrastructure Task Force, managed by the Office of Resilience & Sustainability (ORS), coordinates the City's efforts to pursue and secure discretionary federal grant funding from the Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Over the last 12 months, the Task Force has developed and submitted 18 funding proposals totaling $176.8 million, while securing $123.8 million in federal awards, including this recent award announcement. The Task Force has also worked with and supported partners in the community to pursue more than two dozen projects totaling $734 million, while also securing over $400 million in awarded projects. These include investments in the RTA transit system, the Port of New Orleans, the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, NOLA Public Schools and the electrical grid.

Applications for the EPA CPRG program were submitted by entities in all states and Puerto Rico plus the District of Columbia, requesting a total of nearly $33 billion in funding. EPA selected a total of 25 applications to fund a diverse range of projects in 30 states at the state, local and Tribal levels. These selections mark a major milestone for the $5 billion CPRG program, catalyzing ambitious climate pollution reduction measures designed by state, local and Tribal governments to achieve significant GHG reductions by 2030 and beyond.

More information about the CPRG program and the official funding announcement for New Orleans can be found here: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $4.3 Billion in Grants for Community-Driven Solutions to Cut Climate Pollution Across America | US EPA.

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