Late March: Colorado’s Spring Thaw & Federal Climate Change Funds
TL/DR –
Federal funding for climate-related projects in Colorado has been released following a freeze by President Donald Trump’s budget office. Among the beneficiaries are southwestern Colorado communities for energy efficiency, coal mines west of Carbondale for curbing methane emissions, and a climate action plan for the Yampa Valley. The funding will also provide for staffing for climate action planning in communities where fossil fuel extraction and combustion is decreasing.
Colorado Federal Climate Change Funds Release
As spring thaw begins, federal funds for climate change projects in Colorado have started streaming in. The funding, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, will be allocated to a variety of initiatives. To read more on this, visit the Big Pivots website.
Projects to Receive Funding
Funding is targeted towards projects such as energy efficiency work in southwestern Colorado communities, methane emissions reduction from old coal mines west of Carbondale, and the preparation of a climate action plan for the Yampa Valley. Other smaller grants include $187,605 for a staff position in Salida and Chaffee County to create a greenhouse gas inventory and a climate action plan.
A significant portion of the money is to be used for staffing for climate action planning and also for workforce training in communities where fossil fuel extraction has been fading. According to Christine Berg, senior policy advisor for local governments in the Colorado Energy Office, “these new awards will play an important role in enabling this work in Colorado’s rural and mountain communities”.
Legal Battle Over Funds
The funding was initially frozen by the Trump administration if they were found to help advance the “green new deal”. Colorado, along with 21 other states and the District of Columbia, sought a court order to force the federal agencies to release the money, which was eventually successful.
Rural Colorado Benefits
The $1.8 million grant, in addition to the program for local assistance created by the Colorado Energy Office with its $129 million, funded projects for rural Colorado communities. This included the likes of Lake County, the Colorado River Valley Economic Development Partnership, the Routt County Climate Action Plan Collaborative, Pueblo and Pueblo County, the City of Durango, EcoAction Partners, and Larimer County.
Salida Tree Grant
Salida also received an additional $250,000 to cover the costs of planting trees in a somewhat newer but lower-income neighborhood over the next five years. The project aims to provide cooling on hot summer days due to rising temperatures caused by greenhouse gases. As of March 31, the Colorado State Forest Service reported that awardees of the grant program can now submit reimbursements for their work.
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