Another Biden administration funding plan: $250 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for climate planning and environmental justice. Writes Michael Brady of Smart Cities Dive:
“The CPRG [Climate Pollution Reduction Grants] program aims to help state and local governments develop comprehensive climate plans that reduce climate pollution and maximize benefits, ‘especially for low-income and disadvantaged communities,’ the EPA press release said. It noted those plans should include greenhouse gas inventories; emissions projections and reduction targets; economic, health and social benefits; plans to use other federal funding sources; workforce needs; and future government budget and staffing requirements.”
And further:
“EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe said the agency wants grant applicants to prioritize environmental justice when developing their plans to give historically disadvantaged communities ‘a seat at the table and the opportunity to develop solutions that are both sustainable and long-lasting.’”
Exactly how climate change and environmental justice will mesh is not clear, but doing it will cost $250 million, distributed equitably, of course, among states, cities, and indigenous tribes.
Image of Scrabble letters by WokandaPix on Pixabay.
Meanwhile the annual tax expenditure to subsidize mortgage interest and property taxes is on the order of $38 billion, even with the TCJA limits in place. It jumps to $120 billion in 2026. These tax expenditures are constructed so as to encourage greatest possible consumption of energy, land, and materials, both for construction and for commuting to and from.