The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Colorado pollution reduction grants totaling $328.7 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act to the Denver Regional Council of Governments and the Colorado Energy Office Monday.

“Colorado continues to lead the nation in climate initiatives that reduce air pollution, and move us closer to our climate goals,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a news release. “Investing in clean energy is an investment in Colorado, and we are grateful to be recognized by the federal government for our landmark plans to reduce emissions by creating more transit oriented communities while continuing to save Coloradans money.”

The $199,705,797 DRCOG grant will be used to fund various programs to increase energy efficiency within the Denver metropolitan area. EPA estimates this grant will lead to the reduction of 6.9 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions by 2030.

Programs include:

• Weatherizing and upgrading energy efficiency in low-income and disadvantaged communities
• Electrifying and weatherproofing more than 60,000 buildings,
• Conducting free energy advising
• Providing job education for new workers
• Awarding innovation grants to accelerate electrification
• Funding local government advances in zero-emission building policies

Federal requirements mandate that 40% of the grant money be spent to benefit low-income and disadvantaged communities.

“Our guiding mission is ensuring all people in Colorado have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and the opportunity to live healthy lives. These grants — unprecedented in their funding — bring us and Coloradans closer to achieving these goals,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker in an EPA statement.

The EPA says the grant will “directly impact more than half of Coloradans and implement four measures to transform the built environment and help achieve a region-wide goal of net-zero building-sector emissions by 2050.”

“This award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of not just the entire DRCOG team, but the unwavering support from our member government partners, as well as over 90 program supporters across industry, labor, government and the broader community,” said Jeff Baker, Arapahoe County Commissioner and chair of the DRCOG Board, in a news release. “The region’s Metro Vision Plan calls for healthy, inclusive and livable communities, and this federal grant will enable us to take bold, visionary steps to reduce climate pollution and protect the health and well-being of our residents. We are grateful for the support and look forward to working with our partners to achieve these ambitious goals.”

One senator said the state needs to stay focused on reducing carbon emissions from buildings. 

“For Colorado to lead the country in a clean energy transition, we must reduce pollution from the largest sources of greenhouse gases — and in the Denver metro area, that means decarbonizing our homes and businesses,” said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said in the release. “The Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investment to confront climate change in history, and Colorado is uniquely positioned to benefit from it and lead the transition to a clean energy economy. This funding will help local governments throughout the Denver metro area work with families and businesses to lower their costs with energy-efficient upgrades while supporting communities disproportionately affected by poor water and air quality.”

The $129,008,738 award to the Colorado Energy Office is intended to “reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the state of Colorado by investing in methane emissions monitoring and reporting, supporting the decarbonization of large commercial buildings, and collaborating with local governments to increase their capacity to engage with climate-focused work.”