Climate Pollution Reduction Grants
- Overview
- Eligible Entities
- Eligible Activities
- Program Guidance
- How to Apply
- Sample Documents
- Key Dates
- Webinars
- Tools and Technical Resources
- Updates and Questions
Overview
The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program will provide grants to states, local governments, tribes, and territories to develop and implement plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution. Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act provides an investment of $5 billion to support efforts by states, municipalities, air pollution control agencies, tribes, and groups thereof to develop and implement strong, local greenhouse gas reduction strategies. This two-staged grant program provides funding of $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.
The CPRG program is designed to provide flexible support to states, local governments, tribes and territories regardless of where they are in their climate planning and implementation process. Planning funds can be used to update existing climate, energy, or sustainability plans, or to develop new plans.
EPA is committed to supporting the development of climate action plans and the expeditious implementation of investment-ready policies, programs, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the near term. Through the CPRG program, EPA will support the development and deployment of technologies and solutions that will reduce GHGs and harmful air pollution, as well as transition America to a clean energy economy that benefits all Americans.
Eligible Entities
Status of Notice of Intent to Participate Submittals (pdf)
The entities eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are:
Phase I: Planning Grants
States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico; air pollution control agencies; municipalities; territories; tribes; or groups of such eligible entities. Program guidance released on March 1, 2023.
- Presumptive Allocations
- States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico: $3 million
- Metropolitan Statistical Areas: $1 million to 67 most populous
- Territories: $500,000
- Tribes: $25 million set-aside
- Additional U.S. Census Bureau information on counties and cities in Metropolitan Statistical Areas
- Spreadsheets
- Core based statistical areas (CBSAs) (including MSAs), metropolitan divisions, and combined statistical areas (CSAs): see March 2020 update
- Principal cities of metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas: see March 2020 update
- Maps
- 2020 State-based Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Maps for Each State
- Spreadsheets
Phase II: Implementation Grants
Those states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico; air pollution control agencies; municipalities; territories; tribes; or groups of such eligible entities that are covered by a plan developed with funding from a planning grant awarded under Phase I. EPA expects to announce the notice of funding opportunity later in 2023, with applications due in the first quarter of calendar year 2024.
- Implementation grants will be awarded through a competitive process to implement measures contained in plans developed with planning grants. Entities included in, or covered by, such plans will be eligible to apply for implementation funding. EPA anticipates that entities with existing climate plans could use planning money to update or expand their existing plans in preparation for the future implementation grants competition.
Note: Air pollution control agencies and municipalities that do not receive a planning grant directly may work with states or nearby metropolitan areas as collaborating partners on a state or metro area plan. Tribes that do not receive a planning grant directly or as part of a tribal partnership or consortium may also participate as collaborating partners with states or nearby metropolitan areas. Participating in the planning grant phase is important for entities to remain eligible to compete for implementation grants in the future.
Eligible Activities
CPRG planning grant funds are restricted to projects that are directly related to the development, updating, or evaluation of state, local, tribal or territorial plans to reduce climate pollution (i.e., to reduce GHG emissions and/or enhance carbon sinks). In general, funds may be used for:
- Staffing and contractual costs necessary to develop the deliverables identified in this document;
- Planning and implementing meetings, workshops, and convenings to foster collaboration among and between levels of government, the public, and key stakeholders;
- Outreach and education for stakeholders and members of the public
- Subawards to municipalities, air pollution control agencies, regional planning organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, etc.;
- Modeling and analytical costs, including purchase or licensing of software, data, or tools;
- Studies, assessments, data collection, etc., needed to develop the required deliverables;
- Evaluation and metrics-tracking activities;
- Training and staff capacity-building costs;
- Supplies (e.g., office supplies, software
;, printing, etc.); - Incidental costs related to the above activities, including but not limited to travel, membership fees, and indirect costs; and/or,
- Other allowable activities as necessary to complete the required deliverables.
Program Guidance
States, Municipalities, and Air Pollution Control Agencies
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Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program: Formula Grants for Planning - Program Guidance for States, Municipalities, and Air Pollution Control Agencies (pdf)
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Excerpt - Section 15-2 Formula Allocations (pdf) - This excerpt includes the list of metropolitan statistical areas ranked by population.
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Tribes and Territories
How to Apply
States, Municipalities, and Air Pollution Control Agencies
All lead organizations representing a state or metropolitan area must submit a Notice of Intent to Participate (NOIP) according to the deadlines and requirements laid out in the program guidance.
- The lead organization for a state must submit the NOIP by March 31, 2023.
- The lead organization for a metropolitan area must submit the NOIP by April 28, 2023.
Applicants are encouraged to submit the NOIP as early as possible to help expedite EPA’s administration of the awards process and enable the organization to begin work and consultation with EPA as needed on development of a workplan to execute the planning grant.
Tribes and Territories
Interested tribes and territories should work directly with their regional points of contact listed in the program guidance to learn more about the region-specific procedures and requirements that they should follow to pursue this opportunity.
Sample Documents
Planning Grants
States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia
- Sample Notice of Intent to Participate (States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia) (docx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Budget (States, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia) (xlsx)
- Sample Workplan Outline (States, Puerto Rico, DC and Municipalities) (docx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Timeline (States, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and Municipalities) (xlsx)
Municipalities
- Sample Notice of Intent to Participate (Municipalities) (docx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Budget (Municipalities) (xlsx)
- Sample Workplan Outline (States, Puerto Rico, DC and Municipalities) (docx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Timeline (States, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and Municipalities) (xlsx)
Tribes and Territories
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Workplan (Tribes and Territories) (docx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Budget (Tribes and Territories) (xlsx)
- Sample Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Timeline (Tribes and Territories) (xlsx)
Key Dates
States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
- March 1, 2023 - Planning grants announced for all entities and program guidance released
- March 31, 2023 - Deadline for lead organization from states to submit notice of intent to participate
- April 28, 2023 - Application/workplan deadline for lead organization from states
- Likely July-August 2023 - Planning grants awarded
Municipalities (Metropolitan Statistical Areas)
- March 1, 2023 - Planning grants announced for all entities and program guidance released
- April 28, 2023 - Deadline for lead organization from MSA to submit notice of intent to participate
- May 31, 2023 - Application/workplan deadline for lead organization from MSA
- Likely July-August 2023 - Planning grants awarded
Tribes and Territories
- March 1, 2023 - Planning grants announced for all entities and program guidance released
- June 15, 2023 - Application/workplan deadline for lead organization from tribes and from territories
- Likely August-September 2023 - Planning grants awarded
Later in 2023, EPA will issue a separate notice of funding opportunity regarding the implementation grants, which will be awarded under a competitive process.
Please continue to check this webpage for updates. If you would like to be notified when updates are posted, please sign up to Stay Connected.
Webinars
Webinars about the CPRG program will be held on March 2 and March 7. At the webinars, EPA will explain key features of the non-competitive planning grants program. EPA will also answer questions as time allows. Registration is required and we will post the slides and a recording on this website after the webinars are complete.
Title | Date | Time | Registration |
---|---|---|---|
CPRG: Introductory webinar for state, territory, local, and tribal governments Presentation from the Introductory Webinar on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (pdf) Recording of Introductory Webinar on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants |
February 15, 2023 | 2 p.m. Eastern | Completed |
CPRG: Non-competitive planning grants for state, territory, local, and tribal governments Recording of webinar on the key features of the non-competitive planning grants program for CPRG |
March 2 and 7, 2023 | 2 p.m. Eastern | Completed |
EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: noncompetitive planning grants webinar for tribes, tribal consortia, and U.S. Territories Recording of March 9, 2023 Webinar on the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants |
March 9, 2023 | 2 p.m. Eastern | Completed |
Tools and Technical Resources
There are a variety of EPA tools and resources available to support development of the Priority Climate Action Plan and Comprehensive Climate Action Plan as described in the planning grant program guidances for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program. The resources below are organized by workplan elements and represent a sampling of available support. These resources will be expanded over time, so please visit this website often for updates.
- GHG Inventory
- GHG Emission Projections and GHG Reduction Targets
- Quantifying GHG Reduction Measures
- Benefits Analysis
- Low Income/Disadvantaged Community Benefits Analysis
Updates and Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants - Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)
Stay Connected
Sign up for updates about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants.
Need More Help?
If you have questions about the CPRG program, please contact your EPA regional representative or email CPRG@epa.gov.