Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network will host an August 6 webinar on Climate Action Planning - Resources And Funding Opportunities from Noon to 1:15 p.m.

Join Sustainable Pittsburgh and guest speakers to learn about actionable resources that can help local governments and other organizations take action on climate resilience and adaptation.

Speakers will provide expert analysis of new resources available that support climate action, carbon reduction, and social equity, including tools to find funding for clean energy projects, programs available to municipalities to fund projects, and supportive programs that build local climate action capacity.

Speakers include--

-- Peter Buck, Associate Director of Climate & Sustainability Education, Penn State University

-- Chris Nafe, Energy Program Specialist, DEP, Energy Programs Office

-- Alayna Schmeider, Energy Program Specialist, PA Energy Development Authority

Who Should Attend

-- Local Government Leaders

-- Municipal Managers/Planners

-- Community Sustainability Practitioners

-- Local Government Consultants

-- Leaders and Professionals interested in reducing carbon emissions

Click Here to register and for more information.

Tools For Local Governments To Plan For Climate Change

Local governments play a crucial role in leading and shaping equitable investments in climate resilience.

To drive action, communities can develop and implement climate adaptation plans – a framework that evaluates and capitalizes on opportunities to adjust to new climate conditions.

Effectively implementing locally led climate adaptation requires engaging communities not only to address immediate issues but also in strategic decisions regarding “finance, design, and implementation,” ensuring continuous progress toward the community’s values and vision.

Fortunately, there are ample opportunities for local governments to take action on climate adaptation, with avenues for everyone to participate from start to finish.

Municipalities now have access to numerous new resources to support climate adaptation efforts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s most recent Climate Adaptation Plan highlights the historic modernization of its financial assistance programs, primarily through the [federal] Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, encouraging significant climate-focused investments across the nation.

Some of the financial resources include the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator and Environmental Finance Centers, which provide working capital and technical assistance for climate adaptation projects and programs.

To pinpoint where climate adaptation investments are needed, communities can visualize climate change scenarios with mapping tools, evaluate regionally specific climate hazards, and analyze stressors to air, water, land and health systems.

Resources are available to advance green infrastructure projects and evaluate economic resilience opportunities available in the face of climate vulnerability.

Local governments can also take steps to complete a local greenhouse gas inventory to prepare for more formal action, such as incorporating climate adaptation into local land-use and building policies.

Climate adaptation offers many opportunities in Pennsylvania, spanning agriculture, circular economies, green buildings, outdoor recreation, water management, energy efficiency, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.

Initiatives like the Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program and Solar for All programs are just starting to provide resources for implementing local climate adaptation plans.

Communities that proactively integrate climate adaptation into their initiatives will be prepared with a focused vision and aligned community values, ready to take decisive climate action.

Funding Opportunities

-- Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) (PA Energy Development Authority) a grant and loan program for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that supports local governments that were not eligible for federal Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the US Department of Energy.

$1.8 million is available in grants until October 25, 2024 and $9 million is available via a revolving loan fund. Grant requests can be up to $50,000. Interested applicants should contact Alayna Schmeider at aschmeider@pa.gov  or 717-783-0908.

-- Local Climate Action Program (DEP) provides free technical and personnel assistance to local governments that want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change.

If you’d like to participate in the Local Climate Action Program or learn more about the program, please contact Chris Nafe at chnafe@pa.gov or 717-783-9726.

-- Solar for All (PA Energy Development Authority) will provide low-income residential solar installations in disadvantaged communities across Pennsylvania. The program will provide solar installations for 14,000 households over a 5-year period.

The program is not available yet and is targeted to launch in early 2025. Questions about Solar for All should be directed to Greg Smith at smitgreg@pa.gov.

-- Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (US Environmental Protection Agency) will provide loan funding and technical assistance to finance distributed energy, net-zero buildings, and zero-emissions transportation projects in low-income and disadvantaged (LIDAC) communities.

Local Community Development Financing Institutions (CDFIs) are implementing low interest, long-term loan programs with as low as 3% interest for energy efficiency, renewable energy and clean transportation projects.

Applications are being processed through a network of funders.

-- Pennsylvania Green Energy Loan Fund (Reinvestment Fund) offers financing for energy conservation and efficiency improvements for commercial properties, nonprofit facilities, local government buildings, multifamily residential buildings, and industrial plants.

Loan amounts can be between $100,000 to $2,500,000 with terms up to 15 years or longer with an interest rate between 3.5% - 4.5%.

Projects must provide an energy analysis to show energy savings and loans are secured by the asset being financed.

For more information, visit the Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network webpage.

[Posted: July 11, 2024]

7/15/2024