OUR LAND, AIR & WATER

Go all in for climate jobs: Making the most of federal funds in your community

The U.S. is on the brink of a major energy, economic and environmental transformation. Ohioans have the skills and passion to put our communities at the center of it. For too long, corporations like FirstEnergy and American Electric Power have used their influence to rig the rules. They have profited by polluting our air and water — targeting under-resourced, segregated communities where Black and brown people are more likely to live. Meanwhile, too many jobs don’t pay enough to support a family.

During the pandemic, Ohioans came together across race and place to demand that our elected leaders step up for us. We pushed Congress to pass a series of bills that are sending billions of dollars to our communities. Now that the funds from the “federal climate infrastructure package” are flowing, we can push our local officials to use the funds to heal damage to the climate, create good-paying union jobs and expand opportunities for people who have been excluded due to their race, gender, or background.

What’s the “Climate Infrastructure Package?”

This is how we refer to the of federal laws passed over the last two years that together dedicate unprecedented resources for addressing climate change and expanding opportunity.

These laws include:

American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) (passed March 2021)

ARPA allocated $350 billion in largely flexible funding to state and local governments that must be spent by 2024. Governments can use the funds in ways that include:

  • Funding basic services

  • Directing resources into areas where residents were hit hardest by COVID.

  • Upgrading and expanding water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) (passed at the end of 2021)

Local governments can apply for more than $60 billion in federal funds through competitive grants to cities, towns and municipalities for climate-friendly projects.

Inflation Reduction Act (passed August 2022)

The Inflation Reduction Act dedicates more than $300 million for things like weatherization programs, subsidies for wind and solar power, and incentives for electric vehicles.

CHIPS Act (passed July 2022)

Known mostly as a tax incentive bill for the semi-conductor industry, the CHIPS Act also dedicates nearly $70 million to climate research and growing zero-carbon industries.

Building Healthy and Vibrant Communities

The All in For Ohio Agenda shows how we can build healthy, vibrant communities in all corners of the state, for people of all backgrounds.