January 20, 2023
Our Mission: Power a Clean Future Ohio is building momentum now for a clean, prosperous future by equipping local leaders for equitable, community-driven carbon reductions in Ohio.
Geneva joins Power a Clean Future Ohio, becoming 42nd community
City of Geneva Council members recently voted to unanimously adopt a resolution joining Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO), furthering the community’s commitment to improving sustainability and becoming the first community in Ashtabula County to join. PCFO will work with local leaders to provide technical assistance and partnerships to help staff as they work toward the goal of adopting clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in ways that also save local taxpayers money.

Existing initiatives involve funding an upgrade to various areas of the city to provide energy efficiency to residents over the next year. These include automating heating and cooling systems and upgrading city lighting to LED, including streetlights. Additionally, the City Council Sustainability and Shade Tree Commissions are working on developing long-term plans to guide future decision-making.

With passage of this resolution, Geneva became the 42nd community to join Power a Clean Future Ohio. More than one-third of Ohio residents now live in a PCFO Community, demonstrating the overwhelming commitment Ohioans and Ohio local governments have to creating a clean energy future for our state.

Cassandra Clevenger, Deputy Director of Power a Clean Future Ohio said, “Power a Clean Future Ohio is proud to partner with local leaders to expand the incredible sustainability work being led by local leaders through support from our technical assistance program which provides municipal governments tools and resources to take action to reduce emissions and make investments in clean energy. When communities work together to create and implement achievable plans with measurable goals toward a clean energy future, they also enhance the quality of life for residents and their neighbors, positively impact their economic well-being, and protect the environment for future generations.”

PCFO Clean Energy Champions Awards
On December 16, Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO) and the Ohio Mayor’s Alliance hosted the first Clean Energy Champions Awards ceremony, celebrating Ohio leaders for their commitment to clean energy and climate action.
 
The event recognized PCFO Communities, mayors, and sustainability professionals throughout Ohio that have taken strides to reduce their carbon emissions while creating more equitable communities through clean energy adoption. This year’s winners were honored at a luncheon at The Athletic Club of Columbus.

 
Award winners included:
 
  • Clean Energy Innovator Award: Athens, for the passage of a carbon fee, which finances a public solar fund to support local solar projects.
  • Environmental Innovator Award: Toledo, for the adoption of a first-in-the-nation 1% for the environment budget initiative and establishment of the Environmental Protection and Climate Resilience Commission.
  • Energy Justice Champion Award: Dayton, for centering equity in the sustainability plan and relaunching a community choice aggregation program for 100% renewable energy that saves residents 30% on their utility bills.
  • Clean Energy Staff Champions:
  • Erin Beck, Assistant Director of Sustainability, City of Columbus
  • Meg Maloney, Sustainability Specialist, City of Dayton
  • Eric Zamft, Director of Planning, Cleveland Heights
  • The Clean Energy Community Award recognized PCFO communities that have implemented a 100% clean energy aggregation program: Athens, Athens County, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Silverton, Worthington
  • The Climate Action Community Award recognized 22 PCFO communities that have committed to reduce emissions by at least 30% below 2010 levels by 2030

Watch the full event on our Facebook page.
 IRA in 2022 and what’s ahead for 2023
A look back

2022 got off to an inauspicious start with many important clean energy proposals and climate protections stalled in Congress. That is, until late July when, at long last, consensus, agreement and real movement began to materialize in the form of the new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). By the end of August, the IRA was on President Biden’s desk and he signed into law the largest climate change investment that the United States has ever made. Packed with tax credits for clean energy investments, production, clean vehicle purchases and energy-efficient home improvements, the $369 billion package is expected to reduce carbon emissions and subsequent warming in the United States by 40 percent.

A look ahead

While writing and passing legislation is hardly easy, it can often be just as difficult, if not more so, to implement, deploy and administer the provisions laid out in new laws. That’s why, even as the climate protections in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) were signed into law in August of 2022, the work of bringing the Act to life is continuing to ramp up at the start of 2023. As the new IRA provisions take shape, expect to see the downstream effects at the federal, state, and local levels as well as changes that affect organizations and individuals alike. Thanks to a slate of IRA clean energy tax credits, 2023 is likely to begin ushering in increased demand for residential solar and electric power. That demand is expected to spur an increase in production which will necessitate the creation of more clean-energy sector jobs. 

Similarly, the IRA offers economic incentives combined with new financing options that have many commercial, industrial, and other energy-intense business sectors looking to make sweeping energy-conscious changes in 2023 and beyond. When adding in new Federal Environmental Protection Agency regulations designed to double down on ensuring clean air and reduced pollution, 2023 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for public and private sector climate efforts to take center stage.
White House releases Building a Clean Energy Economy Guidebook
Now that the Inflation-Reduction Act has been signed into law, the White House has issued the “Building a Clean Energy Economy” guidebook to provide access to important information about the environmental programs and support the new law establishes. Specifically, this guidebook provides an overview of the new tax incentives and investment programs for clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation contained in the law, including who is eligible to apply for funding and for which activities. While the guidebook contains a fairly comprehensive overview of the law’s provisions, updated information will be posted at http://www.cleanenergy.gov/ as the new programs and supports are more fully designed, developed, and implemented.
DriveElectric.gov Provides Technical Assistance for School Districts, Transit Agencies, and Tribal Nations
In response to feedback from its partners, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has updated its website, DriveElectric.gov, to include new technical assistance resources for school districts, transit agencies, and tribal nations. Recognizing the need for a user-friendly information clearinghouse dedicated to transportation electrification, the site is designed to feature a robust collection of accessible resources related to funding, education and technical assistance, as well as a link to the Electric Vehicle Working Group.
PCFO INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT SNAPSHOTS
Federal Funding: Find it here!
Visit the PCFO IGAP Webinar page to review notes from the BIL Guidebook Introduction, Electric Vehicles, Public Transportation, and Clean Energy and Power webinars. These notes include information on the federal departments’ goals, funding opportunities, and available links to program pages.

If you are interested in applying or need PCFO’s support please contact Sarah Spence, IGAP Coordinator, at sarah@ohcef.org with any questions.


The Department of Energy’s Decarbonization of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (D-WRRF) grant opportunity aims to reduce direct and indirect emissions and costs for WRRFs.
Application Deadline: Concept Papers due 01/27/23; Full Applications due 04/03/23

Created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Resilient and Efficient Codes
Implementation funding opportunity centers around updating to more efficient building
energy codes that save money for homes and businesses, reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions, and encourage more resilient buildings.
Application Deadline: Concept paper due 01/31/23; Full Application due 03/27/23

The EJCPS Cooperative Agreement Program provides financial assistance to community-based organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues. The program assists recipients in building collaborative partnerships with other stakeholders to develop solutions to environmental or public health issue(s) at the community level.
Application Deadline: April 10, 2023

The Environmental Justice Government-to-Government (EJG2G) program provides funding to support government activities that lead to measurable environmental or public health impacts in communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. EPA aims to fund projects that transform overburdened and underserved communities into healthy, thriving communities capable of addressing the environmental and public health challenges they have historically faced, as well as current and future challenges.
Application Deadline: April 10, 2023

The Department of Energy is now accepting applications for the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund Capitalization Grant Program from states and territories. $250 million in formula funding is available through this program to provide grants that will enable states and territories to establish revolving loan funds to invest in energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades and retrofits of commercial and residential buildings. In addition, states can use up to one-quarter of the funding for grants and technical assistance to low-income homeowners and small businesses.
Application Deadline: April 21, 2023

Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOE received $500 million for grants for energy improvements at public school facilities from 2022-2026. This program aims to fund projects which address historic inequities in school facilities investments, reduce school energy expenditures, help schools lead the nation in solving the climate crisis, and create well-paying union jobs. 
Concept Papers Deadline: January 26, 2023; Full Application Deadline: April 21, 2023

The Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities Program aims to provide technical assistance to assist communities facing brownfields challenges. Awarded entities will help communities tackle the challenge of assessing, cleaning up and preparing brownfield sites for redevelopment, especially underserved/rural/small and distressed communities.
Application Deadline: February 14, 2023

The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program funds surface transportation infrastructure projects that will improve: safety; environmental sustainability; quality of life; mobility and community connectivity; economic competitiveness and opportunity including tourism; state of good repair; partnership and collaboration; and innovation. There is also $75 million set aside for eligible planning, preparation, or design of projects. 
Application Deadline: February 28, 2023
Interested in getting started? Join today!
PCFO is an expansive, diverse coalition engaging with cities and local governments across the state of Ohio to build a clean future for our communities. Power A Clean Future Ohio is empowering local leaders with tools and resources to create carbon reduction plans and implement them in ways that are achievable, measurable, equitable and economical. 
 
Our coalition of expert organizations wants to share our technical expertise and resources with your community. If your community wants to work on plans to reduce emissions, attract business investment, implement equitable clean energy policy, and reduce costs – contact us today to set up a meeting!
 
If your business or organization would like to support PCFO, we invite you to join the campaign as a PCFO Partner. Contact us for more details.
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