The Department of Energy (DOE) announced $8.25 billion in loans available for transmission projects and the White House released a fact sheet on the coordinated efforts between DOE and the Department of Transportation to modernize the electric grid. The total included up to $5 billion in loan guarantees for innovative transmission projects, such as offshore wind, along with up to $3.25 billion in the Western Area Power Administration's transmission infrastructure fund.

The White House Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization released a report that was delivered to President Biden and included the initial recommendations from the Interagency Working Group  to catalyze economic revitalization, create good-paying, union jobs, and support workers in energy communities – hard-hit coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities – across the country.

The Credit Union National Association (CUNA) advocates for the mitigation of climate and natural disaster risks by improving the resiliency of housing stock through improved building codes and retrofitting, both of which can be used to protect housing at all income levels. CUNA urges the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to not rely on risk transfer mechanisms because this will ultimately just price low- and medium-income consumers out of homeownership.

Gwinnett County commissioners agreed to spend $125 million to expand sewer service to the eastern part of the county, where a planned research community is being built. The plan will bring sewer to Rowen, the 2,000-acre "knowledge community" that county commissioners announced last year. The research and innovation development, funded with $67.7 million in bonds, will focus on agriculture, medicine, and the environment.

Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank has announced three energy efficiency construction projects receiving a total of more than $1.7 million in financing through the Bank's innovative Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. All include solar installations, and one of the projects also involves water conservation, LED lighting, HVAC upgrades, and insulation upgrades.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is requesting public input from interested parties, including potential customers and interested stakeholders, to help create a new Rural Renewable Energy Pilot Program. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 provided $10 million to USDA to develop a pilot program that provides financial assistance to rural communities to further develop renewable energy.

On March 31, 2021, President Biden released a fact sheet on his proposed $2.3 trillion initiative known as the American Jobs Plan. The plan includes spending to upgrade the electric grid and promote renewable energy. This update from McGuireWoods covers highlights of the plan related to renewable energy initiatives.

Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-ME) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced the Agricultural Resilience Act, which outlines a farmer-focused, research-driven path to net-zero agriculture. The bill would, in part, make changes to the Rural Energy for America Program and moves the federal AgSTAR program.

CDFA // BNY Mellon Development Finance Webcast Series: Preserving Local Economies with Energy & Water Finance
Tuesday, May 18, 2021 - 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Eastern

CDFA Federal Financing Webinar Series: Federal Financing for Energy and Water Systems
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 - 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Eastern

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The Made in America Tax Plan Report describes President Biden's Made in America tax plan, part of the newly announced American Jobs Plan. Importantly, this tax plan would generate new funding to pay for a sustained increase in investments in infrastructure, research, and support for manufacturing, fully paying for the investments in the American Jobs Plan over a 15-year period and continuing to generate revenue on a permanent basis.

This table includes all the federal-to-local funding streams in the American Rescue Plan that reach cities and their residents. It does not include appropriations to Tribal Governments or Agency appropriations focused on program operations at the federal level with no further sub-allocation. It is a dynamic summary to be paired with the Federal Investment Guide produced by Accelerator for America, Drexel University, and the US Conference of Mayors.

This report from Drexel University's Nowak Metro Finance Lab provides a guide to federal funding in the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The authors place a special emphasis on formula funds received by local anchors, competitive grants, and funds distributed to public authorities that city leadership can leverage to boost their recovery. They clarify which entities are responsible for applying for grant funds, when funding expires, and what role city and county leadership can play even when they will not be the primary applicant for funds.

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