Illinois awarded $430M grant from EPA to reduce climate pollution

CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Illinois $430,251,378 from the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to fund projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the Governor’s Office, the grant will fund $115 million for heavy-duty vehicle electrification; $172 million for “clean” building technologies such as replacing natural gas furnaces with electric heat pumps; and more than $11 million to incentivize sustainable agricultural practices.

The state will now draft a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan to detail how it intends to spend the money, which is expected within two years.

“When I signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, I did it knowing that we could not move into a clean energy future without ensuring that no one was left behind—and with this grant award, the Biden-Harris administration has made it clear that their priorities are the same,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “This grant will fund clean buildings, agriculture, and transport, and further position Illinois as the hub for smart, clean development that we have strived to become.”

The EPA awarded 25 grants, totaling $4.3 billion, to states interested in designing climate action plans.

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