Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted

The document advises US cities and communities to leverage existing federal funding opportunities to accelerate the clean energy transition. It highlights that the Biden Administration is integrating climate mitigation and racial equity into federal programs through initiatives like Justice40. The briefing recommends three strategies: understanding current funding landscapes via tools like the FFOLD tool, embedding environmental justice into project designs to increase competitiveness, and seeking funds from non-climate agencies such as those focused on health and economic development.

• There are over 100 existing federal programs available to support an equitable transition to a clean energy economy, and many of these are being reoriented to prioritize climate change mitigation, resilience, and environmental justice.
• The US government's Justice40 initiative aims to ensure that 40 percent of the overall benefits from relevant federal investments are delivered to disadvantaged communities, influencing programs such as FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and the Department of Transportation's RAISE program.
• Local governments can advance decarbonization by seeking funds from agencies not traditionally associated with climate, such as those for health, workforce development, and economic development, often requiring cross-departmental coordination.
• Specific US cities have used American Rescue Plan Act funds for clean energy and resilience: Minneapolis funded energy efficiency and air quality improvements through coordination between its Health Department and Office of Sustainability, while Pittsburgh allocated approximately $36 million for electric vehicle investments, weatherization, and efficiency.
• The Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Build Back Better program supports decarbonization through regional "clusters" and projects focused on industrial efficiency and the transition of auto-sector economies to battery and electric vehicle manufacturing.

APA

RMI (2021). Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted. https://rmi.org/resources/dont-take-existing-energy-transition-funding-for-granted/

Chicago

RMI. Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted. 2021. https://rmi.org/resources/dont-take-existing-energy-transition-funding-for-granted/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted |date=14 September 2021 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/dont-take-existing-energy-transition-funding-for-granted/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2021dont, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Don’t Take Existing Energy Transition Funding for Granted}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/dont-take-existing-energy-transition-funding-for-granted/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }