Frequently Asked Questions

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 provided tools to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution through programs such as the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Program. With funding from the IRA, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coordinated the development and implementation of climate action plans to reduce GHGs for states, U.S. territories, municipalities, air pollution control agencies, tribes, and other regional organizations. CPRG is a dual-phase program: 

• Phase One- Planning Phase: $1 million was provided to the 67 most populous Municipal Statistical Areas (MSAs) to develop climate action plans to reduce GHGs.
  • A 4-year grant period
• Phase Two- Implementation Phase: $4.6 billion for grants to implement GHG reduction measures developed through the phase one planning grants. 
  • A 5-year grant period

The EPA seeks to achieve three broad objectives:

• Tackle damaging climate pollution while supporting the creation of good jobs and lowering energy costs for families.
• Accelerate work to address environmental injustice and empower community-driven solutions in overburdened neighborhoods.
• Deliver cleaner air by reducing harmful air pollution in places where people live, work, play, and go to school.

In 2023, the EPA awarded the Jacksonville, FL MSA a $1 million non-competitive planning grant. This grant was designated for the development of a priority climate action plan by 2024 and a comprehensive climate action plan by 2027. Receiving this grant also made the Jacksonville, FL MSA eligible to apply for a competitive implementation grant ranging from $2 million to $500 million.

The EPA defines an MSA, per the 2020 U.S. Census, as “a core area containing a substantial population nucleus, together with adjacent communities having a high degree of economic and social integration with that core. Metropolitan statistical areas contain at least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population. An MSA includes one or more counties.”

The MSA comprises Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau Counties, and the City of Palm Coast, and it collaborates deeply with the cities of Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Atlantic Beach.

The Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) is a vital initial step in the journey toward sustainable environmental management, specifically tailored to Northeast Florida’s unique context. As the inaugural deliverable to the EPA under the planning grant phase of Phase 1, the PCAP is a comprehensive narrative report. This report meticulously outlines a range of near-term, high-impact, implementation-ready actions to reduce greenhouse gases. Furthermore, it incorporates a detailed quantitative analysis of the expected reductions in greenhouse gases because of these actions.

The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) builds on the Jacksonville, FL MSA’s PCAP, providing an in-depth documentation of all significant greenhouse gas (GHG) sources and sinks across various sectors in the MSA. It establishes both near-term and long-term GHG emission reduction goals and outlines strategies and measures to achieve these goals.

The measures in this section have been identified as “priority measures” for the purposes of pursuing funding through CPRG implementation grants. This list is not exhaustive of Northeast Florida’s priorities. Instead, the selected priority measures included in this PCAP meet the following criteria: 

• The measure is implementation-ready, meaning that the design work for the policy, program, or project is complete enough that a full scope of work and budget can be included in a CPRG implementation grant application. 
• The measure can be completed in the near term, meaning that all funds will be expended, and the project will be completed within the five-year performance period for the CPRG implementation grants. 
• The measure positively impacts low-income and disadvantaged (LIDAC) communities.
• The measure advances the following priorities: significant and sustained emission reductions, maximizing reach to the entire MSA, and public health.

The Jacksonville, FL MSA participated in 3 applications totaling $260 million of potential funding to be awarded. 

The EPA will announce the winners in July 2024.

The EPA will deliver the funding to the grant winners in October 2025.

Following the PCAP, the Jacksonville, FL MSA will focus on expanding the GHG inventory, continuing community engagement, workforce planning, and development analysis, as well as further developing, re-forecasting, and modeling high-impact actions and goals. The CPRG planning process, operating within a four-year grant framework and concluding in August 2027, will now transition to developing the CCAP. The CCAP will build on the PCAP's near-term focus by setting longer-term goals, strategies, and measures. Workstreams already underway include refining methodologies for a comprehensive GHG inventory, and regular committee meetings will continue to advance and expand high-impact actions and strategies. Coordination with municipal partners, stakeholders, and organizations will be key to developing the CCAP and enhancing Northeast Florida's resilience.