1 Overview of EPA Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program Julie Rosenberg State and Local Climate and Energy Program Office of Atmospheric Programs Climate Communities Call June 12, 2009

2 Local Climate and Energy Program Informational and Peer Exchange Network  Advance comprehensive climate and clean energy approaches in local governments and their communities  Focus on established, cost-effective best practices: energy efficiency first, renewable energy second  Serve as a gateway to existing resources and programs  Develop new tools, resources, and guidance  Facilitate peer to peer exchange  Showcase success stories

3 Climate Showcase Communities Grant Awarded in 2009 Appropriation, not ARRA related  $10M Competitive grant to assist local and tribal communities in implementing climate change initiatives  Goal is to achieve documentable, replicable GHG reductions from a range of activities and community types  Program will:  Create lasting greenhouse gas reductions  Foster collaborative partnership between communities and the Federal government  Promote transfer of best practices among localities  Emphasize co-benefits of climate action  Timing: solicitation will open in June 2009

4 FY 09 Appropriations Language Climate Change Initiative Grants for Local Communities The Bill includes $10,000,000 for the Office of Air and Radiation to initiate a new, competitive grant program to assist local communities in establishing and implementing their own climate change initiatives. The goal of this program is to implement programs, projects and approaches, which demonstrate documentable reductions in greenhouse gases and are replicable elsewhere. The Agency is directed to follow these guidelines to implement this Program: (1) grants are to be awarded on a competitive basis; (2) they are to be one-time grants only; (3) grantees, other than tribes, are required to provide a 50 percent match for the Federal funds; (4) local, county, municipal and tribal governments are eligible to apply; (5) five percent of the funds shall be allocated to tribal governments; (6) grants will fund planning activities, demonstration pilots, innovative approaches and implementation of projects designed to reduce greenhouse gases; (7) examples of eligible projects include land use planning, programs to reduce vehicle miles traveled, improvements to building energy efficiency and projects to capture methane from agriculture

5 What Funding is Available?  Total Funding = $10 million  Expect to award ~30 grants  expected range from $100,000--$500,000  50% Cost-share or cost-match required can be in the form of cash or in-kind contributions (such as use of staff time, equipment, volunteers, etc)  Tribal Set-aside (5%) = $500,000  Expect to award 1-3 tribal grants  No cost-match required

6 Who is eligible?  Local Governments: a county, municipality, city, town, township, local public authority, school district, special district, intrastate district, council of governments, any other regional or interstate government entity, or any agency or instrumentality of a local government  Federally Recognized Indian Tribes  Inter-tribal Consortia

7 How will Grantees be Showcased?  Web based community profiles:  Each showcase will have a profile page highlighting their projects, results, lessons learned, FAQs, etc.  updated at a minimum of quarterly  Serve as living case studies  Annual Training/Showcase Conference:  Years 2+3: open conferences highlighting successes and lessons learned  Integrate Showcase Communities with existing EPA networks  Feature recipients in case studies, webcasts, distribution lists, conferences, etc

8 What Support will be Available?  Assistance developing reporting metrics and tracking program results  Annual Training Workshops:  Year 1: grant recipients only  Years 2+3: open conferences offering training to grantees and other communities  Peer Exchange Venues  private venues for grantees to share ideas, brainstorm, collaborate, etc  include: meetings, conference calls, webinars, and online discussion forums or collaborative workspaces

9 Connections with ARRA Funding  Focus and Goals  ARRA: focus on energy and jobs  Showcase Grants: focus on GHG reductions (broader than energy)  Timelines  ARRA: funds already being distributed, short timelines  Showcase Grants: 2-3 year project periods allow longer-term planning, assessment, education, evaluation  Support and Peer Exchange  ARRA: volume limits opportunities for direct support and peer exchange  Showcase Grants: training for all recipients, multiple peer-exchange venues,  ARRA and Showcase Grants Serve as Complements  ARRA allows mass implementation, sows seeds for long-term change; Showcase Grants grow projects into sustainable, replicable models  Lessons learned from ARRA projects inform Showcase Communities, serve as additional source of results and best practices  Coordinating reporting metrics saves effort for feds and funding recipients

10 Application Information  Visit the grant website for updates   Mechanisms to ask EPA questions will be available after request for application opens  Website will have Q & A page  address for submitting questions  For help with the grant process, please see February 28, 2008 webcast titled, “Navigating the Grant Process for Local Governments”   

11 Contact Info Julie Rosenberg State and Local Climate and Energy Program Branch Chief Andrea Denny Local Climate and Energy Program Team Lead, Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program Lead Neelam R. Patel Local Climate and Energy Expert