Climate Pollution Reduction Grants - Letter Templates
Use the templates linked here to write a letter to your local or state elected officials encouraging them to participate in the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program, which will support states, tribes, territories, and metropolitan areas in creating or updating plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These plans will in turn help applicants in receiving grants from the $4.6 billion available for plan implementation. States must submit paperwork by March 31 and metro areas by April 28.
Download either/both letter template and rename the file on your computer so it doesn't have the name of a form letter. Then make updates to all areas highlighted in yellow. Then send the letter as an email to the appropriate official(s) signed by you as a representative of your local chapter.
Note: Here is a recent list (April 7th) from the EPA showing which states and metropolitan statistical areas have already opted in.
For the letter to state officials we recommend sending to the following people, though this will vary state to state:
- Governor
- Secretary, Department of Environmental Quality
- Secretary of Energy
- State legislators who chair any energy, climate, or environmental committee
For Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), only the 67 largest MSAs are eligible for the grant (details here). Each MSA must submit a coordinated plan, so cities and counties within the MSA must coordinate on their grant application and plan. Some MSAs may already have systems to coordinate such efforts and others may not. We recommend sending this letter to the following officials and community based organizations (CBOs):
- Mayors
- City Council Members, especially those who chair any building, energy, climate, or environmental committee
- Directors of Development Services Divisions, or Building Departments
- Sustainability or Climate Office heads
- Leaders of CBOs whose missions include equity, community betterment, climate or environmental action, housing, etc.
- Regional “Councils of Governments (CoG)” or similarly-named formal collaborative groups that exist in many local regions of the nation. The name may vary from state to state, but mayors or city council members from participating cities are usually members.
Additional Details:
- More resources on the Electrification Action Team page
- Feb 23, 2023 webinar: slide deck, recording.
- Two valuable sources of info about the wide range of funding in the IRA:
- https://WhiteHouse.gov/CleanEnergy/Inflation-Reduction-Act-Guidebook (p10 and pp83-84 have succinct summaries of upcoming $10s of Billions in grant programs).
- https://WhiteHouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Building-A-Better-America-v2.pdf