Kamala Harris and Michael Regan Launch $27 Billion Program in Funding in Charlotte, North Carolina

Last week, we welcomed Vice President Kamala Harris and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan to North Carolina to launch the Biden-Harris Administration’s new $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

Speaking in Charlotte on April 4, Harris and Regan announced eight grants totaling $20 billion, including two selections for projects based in North Carolina. While in Charlotte, they met with a first-time homeowner who took advantage of one of the programs to finance an energy-efficient, affordable home.

Praise for Greenhouse Reduction Fund

“We thank Vice President Kamala Harris for coming to North Carolina and announcing the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund; and it couldn’t come at a better time,” said Carrie Clark, executive director of NCLCV. “According to the latest US climate assessment, North Carolina is one of the top five states facing the most expensive climate disasters. But North Carolina has also ranked first in the nation for business two years in a row, and first in the nation in rural clean energy jobs. If we want this success to continue, we must address the climate crisis. This announcement addresses the heart of the climate crisis and will help ensure North Carolina continues to be a great place for families and businesses to thrive.” 

“The Biden-Harris administration is continuing to deliver on their promise to accelerate our country’s progress towards a clean energy future and ensure that a healthier, more prosperous future benefits communities previously left out,” said LCV Vice President of Federal Policy, Matthew Davis. “While extremist MAGA Republicans continue to attack the President’s affordable clean energy plan, these investments from the historic Inflation Reduction Act will jumpstart local projects and help cut energy costs for families, create clean energy jobs, and decrease pollution in communities disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis and volatile fossil fuel prices. We look forward to these investments catalyzing building energy efficiency and clean energy projects on the ground and are thrilled that over half of these projects will go to historically excluded communities, including communities of color, communities with low wealth, and rural communities.”

Our Work

“This is just one of the funds bringing billions of dollars to North Carolina thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s affordable clean energy plan,” said Meech Carter, clean energy campaigns director at NCLCV. “We–along with a coalition of groups–have created energyfundsforall.org to help North Carolinians access these funds and save money, all while addressing the climate crisis. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration, along with Governor Roy Cooper, for working to better the livelihood of all North Carolinians, but especially often-overlooked communities, such as communities of color and rural communities. We will continue our hard work to make these funds as readily available as possible.”