Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's administration has officially requested $189 million in federal Inflation Reduction Act funds to facilitate the rollout of the state's inaugural climate action plan. This proposal, forwarded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in late March, outlines measures to establish a statewide fund aimed at electrifying government fleets, retrofitting public buildings, and advancing solar generation infrastructure across city, county, and state properties.
In the words of Brooke White, an air quality evaluation and planning supervisor with the Ohio EPA, “Governments really control significant assets in terms of fleets and building stock across Ohio.”
The proposal is part of a broader effort involving 45 states and nearly 70 metropolitan areas vying for a share of up to $4.6 billion in federal funding through the U.S. EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. White noted, “That initial round of funding prompted Ohio to produce its first statewide climate action plan.”
Highlighting Ohio's climate priorities, Nolan Rutschilling, managing director of energy policy for the Ohio Environmental Council, stated, “The plan is the first statewide step for Ohio to reduce and mitigate the impacts of climate change.”
Laura Quiceno Waltero, an environmental specialist with the Ohio EPA, articulated the broader benefits of the proposed grant program, emphasizing, “We are not planning just environmental benefits. We are also creating socioeconomic benefits and building a workforce for market transformation.”
Crystal Davis, senior Midwest regional director for the National Parks Conservation Association, underscored the importance of collaboration in securing federal investment, stating, “We all need to be working hand-in-hand to bring more federal investment to our state.”
Joe Flarida, executive director of Power a Clean Future Ohio, highlighted the potential of the proposed program, stating, “Resilience funding is climate funding, and it's also smart city planning.”
Flarida further emphasized, “Local governments are just the start of this work. It's the tip of the iceberg.”
