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The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) received $307 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fund projects aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Funds will go toward sustainable agricultural practices, like reducing livestock waste. Other projects will boost energy efficiency in businesses and low-income households.
During a White House press call, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said the money helps local leaders fund projects uniquely fit to suit their community needs.
“This historic investment puts local communities in the driver’s seat,” she said. “We are really excited to kick things into higher gear with this incredible resource.”
Investing in energy efficiency and electrification could reduce Lincoln’s emissions by 77% by 2050, according to Gaylor Baird.
NDEE is one of 25 grant recipients, according to an EPA press release. The EPA gave out a total of $4.3 billion to fund projects across the country, all of which will reduce greenhouse gas pollution from multiple sectors: transportation, electric power, commercial and residential buildings, industry, agriculture, natural and working lands and waste management.
In the same press call, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta said the selection process recognized that addressing climate change looks different in every community.
“More bike lanes, public transit, this may be the best way for one city to reduce emissions, and making a local steel plant more energy efficient might be the best path for another,” he said. “Reducing emissions from the agriculture sector might be a strategy employed in some places.”
These projects also boost local economies, Gaylor Baird said.
“Initiatives like this one, importantly, have the potential to drive economic growth by creating green jobs and attracting clean energy investments and fostering sustainable industries,” she said.
All the selected applicants combined could reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 971 million metric tons of carbon dioxide by 2050, according to the EPA. That’s roughly the amount of emissions from five million average households’ energy use per year for over 25 years.