DEC ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $16 MILLION IN CLIMATE SMART COMMUNITIES GRANT AWARDS
Grants to Municipalities Support Climate Action; Largest-Ever Grant Awards Bolstered by Funding from Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act Funding Advances State’s Climate Action with Support for Local Projects to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Adapt to Climate Change
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced today more than $16 million in Climate Smart Communities Grant awards to municipalities across the state as part of Round XIV of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative. The grant awards announced today represent the largest ever awarded since the program was created thanks to funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 (Environmental Bond Act). The funded projects will help New York advance the emission-reduction targets under the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (Climate Act) and support local projects to reduce pollution, decrease flood risk, improve infrastructure, and enhance climate resilience in communities.
“Municipalities that participate in the Climate Smart Communities Grant program are taking local climate action to reduce pollution and protect New Yorkers from severe weather and other climate impacts,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “Reducing harmful emissions while advancing climate equity in communities statewide is critical to improving health and quality of life for residents. DEC is proud of its partnerships with municipal leaders and community members to support new and bolster sustained efforts to realize a cleaner, greener, and more resilient future for New York State.”
Established in 2016, DEC’s Climate Smart Communities (CSC) Grant program supports municipalities seeking to implement climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation projects, as well as undertake certain planning actions toward becoming certified Climate Smart Communities. The Climate Smart Communities Grant program supports the Climate Act, which requires New York to reduce GHG emissions 85 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Since the program’s inception, DEC has awarded more than $87 million to municipalities in support of local climate mitigation and adaptation projects. The 2024 Climate Smart Communities grant awards include the following amounts and recipients.
The 2024 Climate Smart Communities grant awards include the following amounts and recipients:
Capital Region
City of Albany - $2,000,000
Columbia County - $60,000
Town of Lexington - $1,131,662
Town of Taghkanic - $136,435
Warren County - $99,253
Central New York
Town of Geddes - $1,749,613
Town of Georgetown - $1,248,000
Town of Minetto - $54,140
Village of Pulaski - $2,000,000
Finger Lakes
City of Canandaigua - $84,000
Town of Gates - $157,500
Town of Penfield - $60,000
City of Rochester - $1,239,200
Long Island Town of Brookhaven - $650,000
Mid-Hudson
Town of Fallsburg - $186,794
City of New Rochelle - $300,000
City of New Rochelle - $100,000
City of New Rochelle - $100,000
City of New Rochelle - $80,000
Village of Sleepy Hollow - $50,000
Village of Tarrytown - $663,200
Village of Tivoli - $672,000
Village of Warwick - $25,000
Westchester County - $115,772
Mohawk Valley
City of Oneonta - $1,669,135
New York City City of New York - $200,000
North Country Town of Colton - $186,000
City of Albany - $2,000,000
Columbia County - $60,000
Town of Lexington - $1,131,662
Town of Taghkanic - $136,435
Warren County - $99,253