Rewiring America’s Post

A year ago I didn't know what a power forward was, despite my pretensions of Raptor fandom. Today, Power Forward Communities is one step closer to helping install $2B worth of electrification upgrades in homes and communities across America. I am not a mathy person, but that's a lot of heat pumps. And a testament to the awesome collaborative work of so many on the Rewiring America team and all our partners beyond — Enterprise Community Partners, LISC, Habitat for Humanity International, and United Way, and the hundreds of communities that have signed up to champion this work. What a neat thing to breathe life into this, our climate work. Electrifying Everything for Everyone is a broad mandate, because 'everyone' is a broad group. These funds will help the portion of everyone that could not electrify without them. Because everyone deserves clean electric machines, and the right to choose them. 'Don't despair, decarbonize!' is something I repeat to myself quite often, but somedays I feel more electric oomph than others. Today is one of those days.

Approximately 1 in 7 low-income households in the U.S. has an average energy burden of 14% of their household income, while the average middle- and high-income household's burden is just 3%. 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐢-𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝟐𝟏𝟏 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲. Power Forward Communities, a coalition led by United Way, Enterprise Community Partners, Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity International and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), was built to save families money on their utility bills, reduce emissions, and create healthier, safer, more affordable homes. Trident United Way is proud to be a part of the United Way Worldwide network that is building innovative, long-term solutions to help solve local issues. Read more about Power Forward Communities recent $2 billion grant here: https://lnkd.in/grJzsnfP.

This is noteworthy and a terrific step for getting the technical advice and expertise cities need to access in federal funding. Bloomberg Philanthropies has established a three-year initiative to help 25 U.S. cities access more than $400 billion in federal funds to build greener, more energy efficient communities. a prime example of how the private sector can step up to bridge gaps that are stopping infrastructure repair, replacement and new development. The US needs more programs like this or a better federal government grant distribution program.

The future will be built on a integrated distributed rural infrastructure evolution.

We can't meet our climate goals without investing in local communities. Thanks to Tony Pipa for pointing out that rural communities need capacity building before they can engage in federal infrastructure programs. This is why we created the Clean Energy Communities Fund (CECF) - to provide thousands of communities a supportive 'on ramp' to the clean energy future. #CleanEnergyCommunitiesFund #CommunityDrivenSolutions #JustTransition #ClimateMitigation

As the saying goes, “—it’s about to get real.” However the EPA awards, we’ll work to ensure these decarbonization and resiliency resources are deployed into affordable housing through lenders working directly with and in the communities who stand to benefit most from these resources. A new chapter and new sets of challenges loom large that we’ll continue to approach with creativity and curiosity. It’s been inspiring to witness deep collaborations, frank dialogue, and mission-focus. Let’s get our wrenches out. Learn by doing. All folks have a right to healthy, affordable, and sustainable housing. https://lnkd.in/gjWAhPF2

Today we're announcing that Rewiring America, Enterprise Community Partners, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), United Way, and Habitat for Humanity International have applied for $9.5 billion in funding from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund as new entity: Power Forward Communities. Power Forward Communities’ housing decarbonization program will serve the residents and owners of our country’s 124 million single-family and multifamily housing units through a strategy that will deliver more than 80 percent of financial assistance funds to low-income and disadvantaged communities. Our application is already supported by 321 partners who have pledged to decarbonize housing units across 46 states and every EPA region in partnership with Power Forward Communities over the seven year life of the program. https://lnkd.in/ebj8yAWt

Check out this exciting news from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) National! Click the post below to learn more about Power Forward Communities and the potential impact of this program!

Check out this exciting news from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) National! Click the post below to learn more about Power Forward Communities and the potential impact of this program!

🏗️ Friday Feature: Building a Better Tomorrow with Municipal Bonds 🏗️ #InfrastructureInvestment At Charles Fish Investments, we believe in the power of municipal bonds to transform communities. These investments don't just offer competitive returns; they fund vital projects that improve our daily lives. From new schools and hospitals to upgraded infrastructure and clean energy initiatives, your investments are building a brighter, more sustainable future. #CommunityDevelopment #PublicFinance