This action approves an award in the amount of $3,000,000 to the tennessee department of environment and conservation (tdec)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $3,000,000 Cooperative Agreement to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program (CFDA 66.046). This funding supports TDEC in developing a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or updating an existing plan, in collaboration with local air pollution control districts, municipalities, and tribal governments. Key activities include forming a diverse, multidisciplinary advisory committee to guide plan development, conducting robust stakeholder and public engagement, and producing three key deliverables over the 4-year program period: a Priority Climate Action Plan, a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, and a status report. Expected outcomes include quantified reductions in greenhouse gases and co-pollutants, creation of high-quality jobs, improved health benefits, and enhanced educational offerings related to in-demand trades.

This agreement provides funding under the inflation reduction act (IRA) for the recipient to develop a comprehensive, economy-wide climate mitigation plan or update an existing plan in collaboration with air pollution control districts, 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.activities:activities include developing, updating, and evaluating plans to reduce climate pollution. To guide the plan's development, tdec will form a diverse, multidisciplinary advisory committee, tentatively called the climate resilience and pollution reduction advisory committee (crprac). This committee will serve as the primary advisory entity to tdec and IT's contractors for the identification of priority GHG reduction measures. The crprac will also broaden tdec's ability to undertake robust stakeholder and public engagement by leveraging the networks of crprac's participants. Key stakeholders include industry, local governments, nongovernment organizations, and low-income and disadvantaged communities.subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:three key deliverables will be produced and submitted over the course of a four-year program period, including: a priority climate action plan (pcap); a comprehensive climate action plan (ccap); and a status report. Expected outcomes include a pcap and a 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. Other expected outcomes include: the creation of high-quality jobs with an emphasis on workers from low income and disadvantaged areas; the creation of a mechanism for interagency/intergovernmental coordination (crprac); enhanced educational offerings in highly sought-after trades; improved health benefits; and improved data and methodologies for benefits analysis, as well as workforce and training needs. The intended beneficiaries include all residents and visitors of the state of tennessee.