What’s happening: A total of more than $38 million in federal grants have been awarded to four Michigan tribes in an effort to bolster various sustainability efforts by indigenous communities throughout the state. The four Climate Pollution Reduction Grants awarded will fund projects ranging from solar farms to energy efficiency upgrades for low-income housing and businesses.
What it is: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program funds projects that “implement community-driven solutions to tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate the clean energy transition,” per the
EPA website. A total of $300 million in CPRG grants were awarded to 33 tribes nationwide in this latest round, as well as the U.S. territory of the Northern Mariana Islands. Michigan’s selected projects represent more than 10 percent of the total grants awarded in this latest round by the EPA.
What’s planned: Those Michigan tribes winning grants include the
Bay Mills Indian Community, which receives $17.3 million for a solar farm and battery storage system in the U.P., as well as funding a workforce development program; the
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa receives $14.9 million for energy efficiency assessments and upgrades to low-income tribal housing and businesses, including the installation of solar arrays; the
Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi receives $1.2 million to expand recycling programs, convert their commercial fleet to electric vehicles, and more; and the
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians receive $5 million for renewable energy projects throughout the community, as well as new electric vehicle charging stations on the Tribal government campus.
Why it’s important: “Michigan is committed to working with our tribal communities to drive projects and investments that lower energy costs, create good-paying jobs, protect our natural resources, and help achieve the goals of the MI Healthy Climate Plan,” says Phil Roos, director of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). “Tribes in Michigan have been long-standing leaders in climate action. These investments from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act will accelerate their efforts and further position Michigan as a national leader in clean energy, ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for all.”
Also in the news: The Traverse City business incubator 20Fathoms hosts a three-day Business & Marketing Essentials bootcamp for indigenous entrepreneurs from Friday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 29; the event is free to attend and
registration is available online. And Grand Valley State University
has announced plans to embed Anishinaabe teachings into several undergraduate courses come 2025.
Got a development news story to share? Email MJ Galbraith here or send him a tweet @mikegalbraith.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.