Identifying priorities for federal climate funding

The U.S. EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program is a $5 billion investment that provides states, local governments, and Tribal Nations with resources to implement projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

Minnesota's climate action priorities

To unlock the ability to apply for these funds, the first step is to develop a Priority Climate Action Plan that describes the types of climate pollution reduction projects that are important to Minnesotans. Building on the Climate Action Framework, state government requested additional ideas for climate action projects that could be included in our plan. We engaged a variety of audiences and used over 350 responses from residents to inform our final Priority Climate Action Plan.

Minnesota Priority Climate Action Plan (PDF)

Minnesota's draft implementation grant proposals

Minnesota state government submitted three CPRG implementation grant proposals, which were due to the EPA on April 1:

• REACH Homes Minnesota led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for $385 million, focused on equitable residential decarbonization.
• Climate-Smart Food Systems led by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for $200 million, focused on decarbonizing different aspects of the food system including production, processing, and transportation.
• DRIVE Midwest led by the Minnesota Department of Transportation for $39 million, focused on developing a heavy-duty charging corridor across several Midwestern states.

The EPA selected MPCA's Climate-Smart Food Systems proposal for funding in July 2024. Funds are expected in October 2024. The implementation timeline is October 2024-September 2029.

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Questions? Email Faith Krogstad at faith.krogstad@state.mn.us.