By Ashleigh Fields,
AFRO Assistant Editor,
afields@afro.com
Vice President Kamala Harris announced a $20 billion investment in renewable energy projects at Coppin State University in Baltimore today at 3:15 p.m. The Biden administration will offer two programs valued at $14 billion and $6 billion, respectively for competitive grants to private businesses and non-profit organizations alike. The money which stems from a federal “green bank” will help communities complete projects that lower the pollution levels in communities across the country.
“It means when a small business in Baltimore wants to put in a new HVAC system or put solar panels on their roof to save on energy costs—regardless of their zip code—they will have access to a low-cost loan to complete that project,” said Michael Regan, Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NC A&T graduate.
The project is funded through the Greenhouse Reduction Act which has committed $27 billion to mobilize industries using private capital to address the climate crisis.
At the event, Harris shared remarks that signaled hope for future opportunities, “… think of all the jobs these investments will create. Including many good-paying, union jobs. Jobs for the workers of IBEW who will install energy-efficient lighting; jobs for Sheetmetal workers who will replace gas furnaces with electric heat pumps; jobs for laborers who will build net-zero housing.”
The briefing was hosted by the Coppin State University College of Business, which recently retrofitted its building to attain LEED certification by boosting energy and water use efficiency. A goal that the administration hopes other companies will soon follow suit with.
“When we invest in climate, we invest in jobs, we invest in families and we invest in America,” said Harris.
