Michael Ogletree, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Air Pollution Control division director, Sen. Michael Bennet, Sen. John Hickenlooper, Dominique Gómez, deputy director of the Colorado Energy Office and KC Becker, Environmental Protection Agency regional director, listen to Denver Regional Council of Governments Board Chair Jeff Baker address attendees at a July 22, 2024, event announcing a major grant from the EPA to DRCOG. The $199 million federal grant will enable DRCOG to reduce climate pollution and promote sustainability across the region by funding an ambitious and comprehensive regional program to transform the building sector in the Denver area, with focused investment in underserved low-income and disadvantaged communities.
Photo by JR Goodwin/DRCOG
The Denver Regional Council of Governments is honored to have been awarded a nearly $200 million federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Grants, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollutants. The grant from the Environmental Protection Agency will fund an ambitious and comprehensive regional program aimed at transforming the building sector in the Denver area, with focused investment in underserved low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The grant-funded program will support several coordinated initiatives to reduce carbon pollution from buildings, foster workforce development and offer financial incentives for home services and electric appliances, such as heat pumps, water heaters, and electric cooktops and ranges. Each initiative will address specific environmental and industry challenges and improve air quality and public health in the Denver region and promote sustainability across the region.
Highlights
The program is formed by the extensive partnerships, expertise, and learnings of DRCOG’s dedicated local member governments, who recognize the need for a holistic regional approach to effectively transform this challenging sector.
Program highlights include:
- By 2050, removing 148.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions – the equivalent of taking 35 million gasoline powered cars off the road for an entire year.
- Training 4,800-plus workers for the electrification workforce, including 1,000 upskilled workers.
- Engaging 1.6 million Coloradans in the benefits of building efficiency and electrification through a public awareness campaign.
Receiving $73 million in voluntary matched funding from local governments committed to amplifying impact.
Resources
Contact
DRCOG and its local government partners are working diligently to establish this exciting new program. To stay up to date on opportunities to participate in the program, sign up for the mailing list below.