66.957: Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund: Section 134(a)(2) & Section 134(a)(3) - General Assistance & Low-Income & Disadvantaged Communities Grant Program

66.957

Active

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Feb. 28, 2023

Feb. 28, 2023

Section 60103 of Public Law 117-169, 136 Stat. 1818 (August 16, 2022), commonly known as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), added Section 134 to the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7434, to establish the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). The GGRF will make funding available on a competitive basis for financial and technical assistance for projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution, with a particular emphasis on projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities. The overarching objectives of the GGRF are to (1) reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants; (2) deliver benefits to low-income and disadvantaged communities; and (3) mobilize financing and private capital to stimulate additional deployment of greenhouse gas and air pollution reducing projects. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will be implemented via two programs: 1) The $7 billion Zero-Emissions Technologies Program, which will award $7 billion in competitive grants to implement Clean Air Act Section 134 (a)(1), and 2) The $19.97 billion General Assistance and Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities Program, which will award $19.97 billion in competitive grants to implement Clean Air Act Section 134(a)(2) and Section 134(a)(3). This assistance listing (66.957) describes the $19.97 billion General Assistance and Low-Income and Disadvantaged Communities Program. A related assistance listing (66.959) describes the $7 billion Zero-Emissions Technologies Program. Funding priorities will be described in the Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFO).

“Eligible recipients,” as that term is defined in Clean Air Act Section 134(c)(1), are eligible for grants from this competition. Section 134(c)(1) defines “eligible recipient” as a nonprofit organization that (A) is designed to provide capital, leverage private capital and provide other forms of financial assistance for the rapid deployment of low- and zero-emission products, technologies, and services; (B) does not take deposits other than deposits from repayments and other revenue received from financial assistance using the grant funds; (C) is funded by public or charitable contributions; and (D) invests in or finances projects alone or in conjunction with other investors. Further information will be provided in the NOFO about the specific criteria EPA will use to determine eligibility for funding under this program. In the NOFO, the Agency may limit which eligible recipients may apply for the competitive funding opportunity under this assistance listing, consistent with EPA’s Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. Additional scoring criteria will be provided in the NOFO.

This program will have widespread benefits to residents of the United States in communities across the country through the deployment of projects that reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions and other forms of air pollution.

https://sam.gov/fal/6fb146e25ae2411aabe2c09e453bcbaf/view