In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act created the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant to help with regional-scale climate action planning. Local governments in the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Metropolitan Statistical Area (illustrated in the map below) banded together to apply for this grant.

The resulting Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Metropolitan Statistical Area was selected to receive a $1 million planning grant to develop climate action plans in coordination with stakeholders throughout the region. The Denver Regional Council of Governments Board of Directors on April 19, 2023, voted unanimously to accept the role of lead agency for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.

• Priority Climate Action Plan due March 1, 2024.
• Comprehensive Climate Action Plan due August 1, 2025.
• Status Report due August 1, 2027 at the close of the four-year grant period.

To access funding in the second phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program in April 2024, the Priority Climate Action Plan must be completed by March 2024. Although there is a desire from project staff to draft a Priority Climate Action Plan that is community-validated, there is an understanding that it takes time to build the necessary trust and relationships needed to engage the public seriously and meaningfully.

Your help in discussing the plan with your network and communities will therefore be invaluable.

The Priority Climate Action Plan is the first deliverable due under Phase 1 of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program and will determine what projects and programs regionally will be included in the Phase 2 grant applications for implementation.

To identify priorities for this plan, DRCOG is coordinating and collaborating with other eligible entities within the planning area. To be eligible for funding, solutions within the implementation grant application must be aligned with solutions in the region’s Priority Climate Action Plan. The final draft of the Priority Climate Action Plan will be available in January 2024 for entities in the planning region to develop their implementation grant applications.

How your organization can engage

The draft strategies for the Priority Climate Action Plan are being researched and vetted at this time. Now is a crucial time for the project team to hear your input and the input of communities that you represent. Your feedback will help ensure that the strategies meet the dual goals of reducing climate pollution and enhancing benefits for low-income, disproportionately affected communities.

Please go to the forum questions found under the "get involved" section below, where you can provide input on important questions that will guide this process, including:

1. What strategies or programs do you think will be effective in reducing climate pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions and co-pollutants that impact air quality?
2. What strategies or programs do you think will reduce environmental injustice and improve quality of life (through energy cost savings, supporting affordable transportation solutions, increasing access to green spaces, etc.) for low-income, disadvantaged communities?
3. What messaging have you seen be effective in communicating about sustainability, climate change, and climate action work in the communities you represent and serve?
4. What information and resources would you like to be provided with to support dialogue in your network and community regarding this project and potential solutions?
5. How would you like to provide input from you and the communities you represent back to DRCOG regarding this process and project?

The second phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program will award a total of $4.6 billion to eligible agencies for implementation projects across the country. The Environmental Protection Agency anticipates awarding around 115 grants total, with individual grants between $2 million and $500 million.

Your support in guiding the development of the Priority Climate Action Plan will help unlock this funding. There are five funding tiers (detailed in Table 1 below), allowing comparably sized projects to compete against one another.