Milestone reached in effort to fund environmental quality projects
Published on March 07, 2024
The City of Cheyenne has completed the first step in a process that will allow the City to apply for, and receive, a number of grants for projects that relate to improving environmental quality.
The recently-completed work resulted in a Priority Climate Action Plan, or PCAP, which is meant to identify projects and actions that can reduce pollution locally, create high-quality jobs, spur economic growth, and improve local residents’ quality of life.
The creation of the plan was funded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, or CPRG. The City was notified of the award opportunity in December 2023, finalized the contract mid-February 2024, and completed the PCAP on time by March 1, 2024.
The PCAP outlines several key pollution sources (such as residential, commercial, and industrial energy emissions, gasoline and diesel emissions, etc.), recommendations for reducing these levels, and how these reduction efforts will directly benefit communities within Laramie County, both environmentally and economically. The City partnered with Rocky Mountain Institute, ICLEI USA, Climate Mitigation Strategies, and other community organizations for the project.
With the PCAP in place, the City will be able to apply for grants that will meet City Council goals, including the creation of a community solar power program.
Residents can view the PCAP online at www.cheyennecity.org/planninganddevelopment under “Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Overview.”
Next Steps
The completed PCAP will be used to guide future grants (such as the EPA Implementation Grant) as well as the second deliverable of the CPRG, known as the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP), which is to be completed around Fall 2025.
The CCAP will provide a robust, long-term action plan for mitigating environmental concerns such as destruction of property from flooding, biodiversity and habitat loss of our native species, and strain on the energy grid from increased demand for heating and cooling.
The City of Cheyenne will be creating an Environmental Equity Steering Committee to support the development of the CCAP. This committee will be comprised of nonpartisan local representatives, ensuring stakeholders from low-income and disadvantaged communities, as well as local governments and the private economic sector within the Greater Cheyenne MSA.
The CPRG is a planning grant focused on providing guidance for states, regions, territories, and tribes in reducing environmental pollutants that affect local communities. It was authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act and is a two-phase program providing $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants, and approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants.