Section 60103 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) authorizes the EPA to implement the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). This program will create three competitions to choose the entities that will coordinate disbursement of federal funds for clean technologies nationally, community clean financing capacity locally, and adoption of clean distributed solar energy. While each competition is distinct, EPA has designed the competitions to work in tandem to maximize the tangible benefits for American communities. EPA will administer the following three competitions:

• The $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund competition will fund 2–3 national nonprofits that will partner with private capital providers to deliver financing at scale to businesses, communities, community lenders, and others, catalyzing tens of thousands of clean technology projects to accelerate our progress towards energy independence and a net-zero economic future. Range of individual grants: between $2 billion and $7 billion.
• The $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator competition will fund 2–7 hub nonprofits with the plans and capabilities to rapidly build the clean financing capacity of specific networks of public, quasi-public and non-profit community lenders—such as community development financial institutions (including Native CDFIs), credit unions, green banks, housing finance agencies, minority depository institutions, and others—to ensure that households, small businesses, schools, and community institutions in low-income and disadvantaged communities have access to financing for cost-saving and pollution-reducing clean technology projects. Range of individual grants: between $1 billion and $4 billion.
• The $7 billion Solar for All competition will provide up to 60 grants to states, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to expand the number of low-income and disadvantaged communities that are primed for investment in residential and community solar—enabling millions of families to access affordable, resilient, and clean solar energy. Range of individual grants: between $25 and $400 million.

The winners of these competitions will oversee the disbursement of the appropriated funds.  The ultimate beneficiaries will be the recipients of the funds.  40% of the funds must go to disadvantaged communities.

• National Clean Investment Fund competition is open to national non-profit groups.  The winners of the competition will each set up some type of “green bank” for funding these investments.
• Clean Communities Investment Accelerator competition is open to non-profit groups.
• Solar for All competition is open to government organizations and non-profits.

The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for oversight of these three programs. Information on how to apply can be found at:

• EPA -R-HQ-NCIF-23 for National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)
• EPA-R-HQ-NCIF-23 for Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA)
• EPA-R-HQ-SFA-23-01 for Solar for All

For more info on the GGRF Program, and upcoming workshops, go to https://jimwylieg.wixsite.com/ca-public/copy-of-grant-programs