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Whitmer announces federal funding to boost Michigan's green initiatives

Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers keynote address at the 2024 MI Healthy Climate Plan conference in Lansing.
Michelle Jokisch Polo / WKAR
Governor Gretchen Whitmer delivers keynote address at the 2024 MI Healthy Climate Plan conference in Lansing.

Michigan is receiving funding from the federal government for projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer made the announcement on Friday at the MI Healthy Climate Conference in Lansing.

“These funds could help make factories cleaner, build electric vehicle chargers, energy storage facilities, wind turbines, and solar array,” said Whitmer.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation have been designated as state energy financing institutions by the U.S Department of Energy.

This designation allows the state agencies to receive money through the Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program, an initiative created in 2005 through the Energy Policy Act.

The program is emphasizing funding initiatives such as installing electric vehicle chargers and retrofitting buildings for energy efficiency, in line with the state's strategy to attain complete economy-wide carbon neutrality by 2050.

Any project physically located in the state is eligible to apply for the grants with forty percent of funding going towards disadvantaged communities.

“To help businesses, communities, and schools get the money they need from the Department of Energy to power themselves with clean energy,” Whitmer added.

The state is accepting project applications on a rolling basis.

As WKAR's Bilingual Latinx Stories Reporter, Michelle reports in both English and Spanish on stories affecting Michigan's Latinx community. Michelle is also the voice of WKAR's weekend news programs.