The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle joined U.S. Representative James E. Clyburn at a press event on September 16, 2024, to recognize an $8.7 million grant to the Central Midlands Council of Governments (COG) for community-driven solutions to cut climate pollution.
Through the grant, the Central Midlands COG will create a Smart Surfaces + Solar Fund to provide matching funding for local government projects to install solar power at public buildings like the City of Columbia’s wastewater plant in South Carolina.
The project will also promote green infrastructure, urban forestry and cool pavement pilot projects to reduce urban heat island effects in the region.
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program is an initiative funded through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
These grants are designed to provide resources to state, local governments and tribes to collaboratively work on reducing climate pollution.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the EPA launched the CPRG with the aim of helping state, local and tribal governments develop and implement strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants.
In the first phase of the program, the city of Columbia was awarded a $1 million planning grant to be able to begin work on locating areas of improvement in the community.
The Central Midlands COG then took what has been learned so far in their planning phase to apply for the highly competitive Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grants.
The Central Midlands COG was one of 25 highly rate applicants selected out of over 300 applications.
