Tribal energy efficiency, training project among twenty nationwide to combat climate change, save money
(Denver, Colo. – February 25, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Northern Cheyenne Tribe will receive $200,000 to advance greenhouse gas reduction activities as part of the Agency’s Climate Showcase Community initiative. The Tribe is among 20 U.S. communities receiving a total of $7.8 million in grants for projects that will reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). These funds will help communities increase energy efficiency, saving consumers money and reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
To reduce the tribe’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Environment Department has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation to transform the Tribal Environmental Protection Office and Head Start building into an energy-efficiency demonstration and training project. The building is one of the most inefficient buildings on the reservation, making it a priority for retrofits and green power projects. Contractors will implement these projects with support from tribal college students and community members. A training program will cover three sessions on energy audits, energy efficiency and small scale renewable energy.
“These communities see the overwhelming scientific evidence on climate change and are working with EPA to fight back,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re working on innovative, win-win strategies that reduce greenhouse gases and cut energy bills for families and businesses — strategies that can be put in place to fight climate change in communities from Utah and Ohio to China and India.”
The projects will target every aspects of a community’s carbon footprint, from increasing energy efficiency in homes and businesses, to helping residents save fuel by decreasing the number of miles they drive.
Preliminary calculations by the grant applicants estimate that by 2012 the projects will reduce about 135,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually—equivalent to the emissions from 25,000 passenger vehicles or 12,000 homes and save more than $4.5 million per year in energy costs. Several projects are expected to create or maintain jobs and provide green job training.
The funded communities are showing their commitment to combat climate change by contributing more than $5.6 million in matching or leveraged funds and committing to sharing lessons learned. Grantees selected for the Climate Showcase funds were also required to show their ability to achieve ongoing GHG reductions as well as to track, measure, and show progress toward their goals.
EPA will monitor the progress of grant recipients and will post quarterly updates about each recipient online. An additional $2.2 million is still under review and is expected to be awarded in the next few months to five additional local and tribal governments.
The Climate Showcase Communities Grant Program is administered by EPA, providing technical assistance, tools, and guidance to help state, local, and tribal governments implement policies and programs to mitigate climate change.
More on the Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s Energy Efficiency and Training Project: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/cheyenne-tribe.html
More information on the grants and the grant recipients: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/local/showcase/
More information about the program: http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate
