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The effects of climate change have been increasing, so the federal government has worked on various measures to reduce the impacts and take care of the most vulnerable communities by allocating funds to seek to bring clean energy options to the most needy homes, a joint effort where improvements in homes benefit the environment.
This is the largest injection of federal funds into clean energy and climate change, with $27 billion earmarked for communities that bear the highest per capita energy costs and are most affected by pollution.
Thus, the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund has come to support various initiatives that improve the conditions of the most vulnerable communities, from replacing household appliances to sustainable energy for an entire community.
It is the largest funding ever to meet the urgent needs of the climate crisis, ensure free competition in energy production, promote independent energy and have low electricity costs in the country, said David Widawsky, director of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during a briefing held by Ethnic Media Services.
The funds are intended for various programs and projects with other organizations and companies, where the main focuses are renewable energy, energy efficiency, new sustainable buildings, changing different household appliances and more.
This financing has five main objectives: reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants, obtaining direct benefits for the most vulnerable communities, reducing the energy burden, expanding financing and acquiring new private investors.
At the state level, the focus is on community solar, residential solar and solar storage, for which there is $70 billion with 60 grantees statewide, where communities, businesses, associations and more are looking for opportunities to implement their projects, Widawsky said.
"We are talking about an invaluable opportunity for people, businesses, communities, and those who can benefit from financing to have clean energy within their reach," he said.
Shalanda H. Baker, senior vice chancellor for sustainability and climate action at the University of Michigan, explained that energy insecurity is an important issue because some people spend up to 6 percent of their income on electricity, which creates an extra cost burden for households.
More than 52 percent of African-American households are energy insecure, while 47 percent of Latino households spend too much, resulting in a search for energy options to reduce costs, improve people's quality of life and help the environment.
Evie Bauman, director of community deployment for Rewiring America, part of the Power Forward Communities coalition, said it's important to replace appliances that generate greenhouse gases with ones that are environmentally friendly.
Bauman says that 42 percent of electricity emissions come directly from homes, whether for heating or cooling food, cleaning clothes and cooking, so that by modifying this part we can be more aware of climate change, but also improve the quality of life of families.
It should be noted that a reimbursement program has been implemented, and a website has been made available where interested parties can check whether they are eligible, as well as the available options.
In addition, to reach the homes that need it most, five organizations have partnered with the federal government under the name of Power Forward Communities; while last year, five relevant projects were implemented to support families to obtain an electrification upgrade free of charge.
De Soto, Georgia resident Rosemery Jones, project manager for Rewiring America, explained that these programs aim to lower electricity bills while still having a healthy and decent home.
It is worth noting that in many homes it is impossible to buy new, energy-efficient appliances, many more cannot afford air conditioning, and those who are eligible for a support program may not have the information or resources to apply for it, said Rosemery Jones.
Jessie Buendía, director of Impact for the Green Capital Coalition, said the green bank is made up of many organizations and initiatives with the goal of reducing greenhouse gases.
"Climate change is a trillion-dollar problem, it can't all be solved by one sector, so the down payment is to catalyze private sector investment to help communities make that transition to the clean energy sector."
"It is important that real banks, local and state institutions and organizations create more opportunities for communities, working together to ensure that public services have access to green energy so as not to use fossil fuels that have such negative effects," Buendía concluded.
Chrystel Cornelius, President and CEO of Oweesta Corporation, said that she supports the financial and economic system for the less favored sectors, since many of the resources were designated for rural communities.
The goal is to help 20,000 households with projects that encourage communities to meet common needs, such as creating energy sources where several households benefit. Among its projects is the idea of supporting small businesses and generating jobs within these projects, said Cornelius.
Experts agree that this financial support is very valuable, but much more needs to be done to ensure that it reaches the necessary places.
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