Today, ICLEI USA and the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) are announcing $13 million in awards to 52 selected U.S. communities to develop community-based plans that will ensure the U.S. can keep up with the rising demand for electricity while keeping costs down.
CGC and ICLEI USA received 114 applications across 48 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and tribal nations for funding through its Municipal Investment Fund program. Initial applications demonstrated that local governments had a strong desire to use clean energy to take control of their own energy future and wanted to use public and private investing to reduce costs, create jobs and ensure cleaner air and water for their residents.
CGC’s public finance experience combined with ICLEI’s reputation as a trusted local government partner will carve a pathway forward to keep projects advancing and investor capital flowing.
By 2027, CGC and ICLEI plan to select 10 communities out of the 100+ qualifying communities to receive up to $2 million in pre-development and additional market-building grants. To do so, CGC plans to continue leverage philanthropic and private resources to achieve these goals and meet the rising demand for clean energy deployment.
“These awards will accelerate the flow of capital to clean energy projects at a critical time,” said Richard Kauffman, CEO of CGC. “With demand for electricity rising, our organization and local governments across the country agree that we need to deploy infrastructure immediately to meet the crisis. Smarter, smaller projects like the ones proposed here are the key to success.”
Based on their initial proposals, the phase I awardees are developing public-private partnership plans to accelerate energy storage and efficiency in the Appalachian region, community solar in the Midwest, geothermal in the Rocky Mountain region, energy efficiency in the Great Plains region, and water infrastructure in the South, as examples.
The awards come at a critical moment when demand for power from data centers, electric vehicles and advanced manufacturing are straining U.S. electricity capacity, raising utility bills and threatening blackouts. Traditional energy sources not only endanger the climate, they are more expensive and take longer to bring online. Applicants for MIF funding have made proposals that will help mitigate the energy crunch.
“Communities know what’s at stake,” said Saharnaz Mirzazad, Executive Director of ICLEI USA. “They’re moving on clean energy, not just to lower costs, but to protect residents’ health and build local resilience. With both funding and technical support, we are helping bring these projects to life. These projects boost energy security and ensure economic growth does not come at the expense of community well-being.”
ICLEI USA and CGC will begin delivering technical assistance in July, helping local governments and their partners understand what it takes to build a market for projects that can win further financing. CGC and ICLEI USA are committed to mobilizing public-private capital toward municipalities in all 50 states so they can modernize their grids, prevent widespread outages, and build resilient infrastructure that keeps communities safe and the economy running.
ABOUT ICLEI- LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY USA
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA (ICLEI USA), headquartered in Denver, Colorado, has operated for 32 years as the largest and first local government network dedicated to sustainability and climate action. ICLEI USA has worked with over 1,200 network cities, towns, counties, and Tribal nations in all 50 states.
ICLEI USA pioneered local government greenhouse gas management standards, including in the states with the highest emissions, to create jobs, reduce emissions, and empower local solutions by providing technical assistance, strategic planning, and federal grant support. Our Members and team of experts work together through peer exchange, partnerships, and capacity building to create systemic change for urban sustainability. Learn more: https://icleiusa.org/
ABOUT CGC
The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) uses public-private investing to unlock clean air, clean water, clean jobs, and affordable power for all Americans. Green banks are a proven finance model that uses public capital to mobilize private investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and other decarbonization technologies. For over a decade, the Coalition for Green Capital has led the Green Bank movement, working at the federal, state, and local levels in the U.S. and countries around the world. For more information, visit: https://coalitionforgreencapital.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Anne Marie Cleary Rauker
Senior Communications Officer
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA
am.clearyrauker@iclei.org
Jim Glassman
CGC Communication Advisor
jim@glassmanadv.com