This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the state of wisconsin to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan in…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 provides $3,000,000 in funding under the "Climate Pollution Reduction Grants" program (CFDA 66.046) to the State of Wisconsin Department of Administration. The purpose is to support the development of a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan in collaboration with local air pollution control districts, municipalities, and tribal governments across Wisconsin.

Key activities include creating a Priority Climate Action Plan by March 2024, a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan within two years, and status reports. This will involve analyzing existing climate plans, benchmarking energy and emissions data, and conducting engagement with low-income and disadvantaged communities to identify strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. The Department of Administration will administer subawards to entities like the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to support this planning and analysis work.

This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) to the state of wisconsin to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan in collaboration with air pollution control districts, and large and small municipalities statewide, and tribal governments that will support actions to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and harmful air pollutants and to conduct meaningful engagement with low- income and disadvantaged communities. Specifically, through extensive engagement with coordinating entities and communities, the recipient will analyze existing related climate action plans, benchmark energy and emissions summaries, and track outputs and impacts (JUSTICE40 metrics, disadvantaged community benefits; emissions reductions, workforce buildout, etc.). Activities:in general, activities include the development, updating, and evaluation of plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). Specific activities include creating a PCAP, CCAP, and status reports in order to accelerate wisconsin's strategies to reduce climate change impacts. The grantee will complete these by working with external entities such as the wisconsin office of sustainability and clean energy (OSCE), referencing and utilizing previously established climate action plans, and pulling in experts in their field to prioritize strategies in LI and disadvantages communities.subrecipient:OSCE staff will lead with support from coordinating entities to leverage previous engagement efforts and expand to ensure participation and input from low income and disadvantage community members. Other subawards will be to conduct a workforce inventory that compliments the identified measures, collating rules and regulations of implementing identified priority measures, survey and assess health, social, emissions and economic benefits of prioritized strategies specifically in LI and disadvantaged communities throughout the state. The grantee will be using subawards for their analysis and emission modeling in addition to the organization support subawards. Outcomes:three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of the four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (PCAP), due march 1, 2024; a comprehensive climate action plan (CCAP), due two years from the date of the award; and a status report, due at the close of the grant period. The expected outcomes include a PCAP and CCAP that identifies: tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced over the lifetime of the measures; tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced annually; and tons of pollution (ghgs and CO-pollutants) reduced with respect to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The intended beneficiaries include the entirety of the communities in wisconsin, with special attention to low-income and disproportionately impacted communities