August 4, 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.
PCFO is Hiring
Power a Clean Future Ohio (PCFO) is seeking candidates for two positions: Program Manager and Communications and Events Manager. The Program Manager will collaborate with local governments to support greenhouse gas emissions strategies focused on equity and cost savings. The Communications and Events Manager will be responsible for crafting and implementing communication strategies aligning with the organization's vision and mission. PCFO offers competitive salaries and benefits.

The ideal candidates for both positions possess exceptional project management skills, excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to collaborate effectively with teams, external consultants, and vendors. If you are interested in applying for either position, please send your resume to admin@poweracleanfuture.org with the job title in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include a brief summary of why you feel you are the best candidate for the role.

Athens Makes Drastic Reductions in Carbon Emissions
The City of Athens has been making significant progress in its mission of decarbonization. The city's efforts began in 2010 with installing a solar array by the parking lot of the Athens community center. Since then, Athens has been working on making their municipal buildings run on solar energy through rooftop solar panels. They aim to use solar energy in the municipal buildings that use the most power in the city. Currently, the city is wrapping up construction on a 2.4-megawatt solar array for the wastewater treatment plant, which uses the most power in the city. This new solar array will also power the Athens community center and the community pool.

Watch the latest news story on their progress - here.
Clean Energy Jobs Growing in Ohio
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) became law in August 2022, and since then, companies have invested heavily in building a clean energy future for the US. A report by Climate Power analyzes public announcements from the private sector since the passage of the IRA. 

According to the report, in the past year alone, clean energy investments have spurred $8.03 billion in investment and helped create or move forward over 5,300 good-paying clean energy jobs in Ohio.

Between August 2022 and July 2023, 272 new clean energy projects were announced or advanced throughout small towns and big cities in the US. These projects are valued at $278 billion in new investments.
Electric Vehicle Chargers Coming to Ohio
Ohio is the first in the nation to announce an investment of $140 million over the next five years in installing dozens of electric vehicle (EV) chargers along popular highways. The project is part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program and will be funded using federal money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This initiative is expected to encourage the use of electric cars and reduce range anxiety for drivers. Currently, there are around 53,000 EVs registered in Ohio. That number is increasing rapidly, with a 50% increase in EV registrations reported by the Ohio Department of Transportation from July 2022 to July 2023. The chargers will be strategically placed one mile off the highway at restaurants, banks, grocery stores, and more, with the goal of having one accessible at least every 50 miles.

Watch the full report on their website - here.
PCFO Resource Hub
PCFO recently launched the Inflation Reduction Act Resource Hub. The IRA Resource Hub is a one-stop-shop for residents, governments, organizations, and businesses who are looking for reliable information about the proposed piece of legislation. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) offers tax incentives and other benefits to businesses and individuals who invest in clean energy solutions. The bill aims to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy, create new jobs, and reduce the overall cost of energy. 
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 Cassandra Clevenger, IGAP Coordinator, at cassandra@poweracleanfuture.org with any questions.


The Great Lakes Environmental Justice Grant Program (GLEJGP) is a competitive opportunity to fund six grant programs that will provide subawards for environmental restoration projects in historically underserved Great Lakes communities.
Application deadline: August 11, 2023

Created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program aims to fund projects that address the climate crisis by improving the resilience of the surface transportation system, including highways, public transportation, ports, and intercity passenger rail. By funding projects that improve resilience to natural hazards and climate change impacts, thePROTECT Discretionary Grant Program aims to reduce damage and disruption to the transportation system, improve the safety of the traveling public, and improve equity by addressing the needs of disadvantaged communities that are often the most vulnerable to hazards.
Application deadline: August 18, 2023

Created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program provides $5.575 billion for three grant programs: INFRA, Mega, and Rural. The INFRA program awards competitive grants to multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance to improve the safety, accessibility, efficiency, and reliability of the movement of freight and people in and across rural and urban areas.
Application deadline: August 21, 2023

Created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program provides $5.575 billion for three grant programs: INFRA, Mega, and Rural. The Rural program supports projects that improve and expand our nation’s surface transportation infrastructure in rural areas in order to increase connectivity, improve the safety and reliability of the movement of people and freight, and generate regional economic growth and improve quality of life.
Application deadline: August 21, 2023

Created under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program provides $5.575 billion for three grant programs: INFRA, Mega, and Rural. The Mega Program supports large, complex projects that are difficult to fund by other means and likely to generate national or regional economic, mobility, or safety benefits.
Application deadline: August 21, 2023

Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing $400 million in grants to incentivize and accelerate the replacement of existing school buses with clean and zero-emissions school buses through the 2023 Clean School Bus (CSB) Grant Program.
Application Deadline: August 22, 2023

Created under the Inflation Reduction Act, the NOAA Climate ResilienceRegional Challenge (Challenge) aims to catalyze equitable adaptation through regional scale collaboration and implementation of adaptation actions that will reduce future damage from weather and climate impacts.
Application Deadline: February 13, 2024

Created under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) provides owners of HUD-assisted multifamily housing with resources to reduce carbon emissions, make utility efficiency improvements, incorporate renewable energy sources, and make properties more resilient against the effects of climate hazards. The GRRP Elements Cohort provides funding for owners to include climate resilience and utility efficiency measures in projects that are already in the process of recapitalization transactions.
Application Deadline: March 28, 2024

Created under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Green and Resilient RetrofitProgram (GRRP) provides owners of HUD-assisted multifamily housing with resources to reduce carbon emissions, make utility efficiency improvements, incorporate renewable energy sources, and make properties more resilient against the effects of climate hazards. The GRRP Leading Edge cohort provides funding to owners with ambitious plans involving carbon reduction, renewable energy generation, use of building materials with lower embodied carbon, and resilience goals through achieving an advanced green certification.
Application Deadline: April 30, 2024

Created under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP) provides owners of HUD-assisted multifamily housing with resources to reduce carbon emissions, make utility efficiency improvements, incorporate renewable energy sources, and make properties more resilient against the effects of climate hazards. The GRRP Comprehensive cohort provides funding to properties with a high need for investment in utility efficiency and climate resilience.
Application Deadline: May 30, 2024
Upcoming Events
Aug. 8 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

Heat pumps offer a decarbonization strategy for various building types, providing heating, cooling, and domestic hot water without using fossil fuels. To learn more about using heat pumps for effective decarbonization, building owners can benefit from the insights of multiple building stakeholders. The US Department of Energy webinar highlights the top 5 things building owners need to know.
Aug. 15 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET

Community solar provides renewable energy for those who cannot install traditional rooftop solar systems. This strategy enhances resilience, workforce development, and cost savings while increasing solar energy accessibility for low- to moderate-income households. Join this webinar to learn more about the benefits of community solar, get resources from the Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), and learn how Better Buildings partners encourage equitable community solar systems.
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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