Remarks for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Event with the VP, As Prepared for Delivery
Michael Regan
Charlotte, NC
Good afternoon, everyone.
It’s so good to be back in my home state, alongside The Vice President of the United States...Kamala Harris—a true champion of justice and opportunity for everyone.
Madam Vice President, thank you for your steadfast leadership and your continued advocacy for our nation’s most underserved communities.
Folks, I’m grateful to work for a president and vice president who have dedicated their careers to helping our great nation reach its full potential.
Governor Cooper, it’s so great to see you again my friend.
Governor, I might be biased...but no matter where I am in the world, I remind everyone that North Carolina is the greatest state in the nation...and that is in no small part due to your vision and leadership. Thank you for all that you do!
Mayor Lyles, thank you for welcoming us to Charlotte, THE Queen city, and for being a national leader on sustainability.
Congresswoman Adams, let me start with an Aggie Pride...it’s always great to be with you and we appreciate your national leadership just as much as the people of your district appreciate you.
And thank you to all of the state and local leaders here with us today.
When President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, they vowed to restore the soul of our nation...
And they promised to revitalize our economy, while building a cleaner and healthier future that works for all Americans.
Well, they’ve done just that.
The president and vice president fought tooth and nail to secure the historic Inflation Reduction Act—a once-in-a-generation investment in combating the climate crisis, while bolstering our economy and creating good paying jobs.
Simply put...Investing in America.
And thanks to their tenacity, EPA was bestowed the honor of implementing a 27 billion dollar...folks that’s billion with a B...Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, also known as GGRF.
A fund designed to pull hundreds of billions of dollars of private capital off the sidelines to address climate change head on...reinforce our country’s economic competitiveness...lower energy costs...and increase economic revitalization all across the country.
So today, we are announcing our selection of eight applicants who will receive awards totaling $20 billion dollars across two of the three GGRF grant competitions:
- the National Clean Investment Fund
- and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator.
Folks we are creating a first-of-its-kind national network of community-led financial institutions that will finance climate and clean energy projects—especially in communities that need it most.
By building the capacity of hundreds of community lenders, these investments will drive the deployment of tens of thousands of clean technology projects that will reduce pollution, all while increase cost savings and high-quality jobs.
And, we aren’t starting from scratch because the selected applicants are not new to this work.
These experts have already provided capital to families and small businesses all across the country, like a pizza restaurant in Detroit, Michigan, to access more energy efficient lighting and water fixtures...as well as solar panels to help reduce energy costs —which is helping the restaurant keep its doors open.
They’ve supported community lenders across the country, like a Latino-led CDFI that is developing a 99-unit affordable housing project in Chicago to maximize energy efficiency, reduce pollution, and save on energy costs.
Thanks to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, we are bringing these types of opportunities to thousands of communities—in every state and territory nationwide.
We are strengthening our country’s economic competitiveness, promoting energy independence, and tackling climate change, while delivering significant health benefits.
AND...we are making sure everyone has a fair shot!
Thank you.