NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans Office of Resilience and Sustainability (ORS) today issued the following statement in acknowledgment of the one-year anniversary of the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act:
“Today marks one year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the most significant climate legislation in U.S. history,” said Deputy Chief Resilience Officer Greg Nichols. “The bill offers funding and incentives for cities, residents and businesses to accelerate the transition to a cleaner environment and more sustainable economy. The IRA, along with other federal actions, is expected to cut 2005 levels of U.S. carbon emissions in half by the end of this decade and create 1.5 million additional jobs. Many of these incentives have already become available, including clean energy tax incentives for energy efficiency upgrades, solar installations and electric vehicles. Additionally, a variety of grant programs for sustainable projects and initiatives are currently available, with more opportunities becoming available soon.
These new ambitious spending programs from the IRA will help make the goals of our City’s latest Climate Action Plan a reality. This plan is our local pathway to cutting our carbon footprint to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Included in the plan are initiatives to dramatically increase renewable energy, clean transportation options, good-paying green careers and business opportunities for our local small businesses. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration has already began implementing some of these climate action projects, including citywide tree plantings, green stormwater infrastructure and publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers.
The benefits of these actions are starting to be felt throughout the New Orleans community. These initiatives will ultimately lead to lower energy costs for homes and businesses, greater resilience in our infrastructure and energy grid, restoration of our vanishing wetlands and cleaner air and water. The City of New Orleans is proud to work with our federal, state and local partners to champion and implement these initiatives so that future generations can continue to live and thrive in our city.”
More information on the City’s Climate Action Plan can be found at nola.gov/climate-action/. Also, residents can visit the Department of Energy’s Energy Savings Hub at www.energy.gov/save to learn more about savings for installing rooftop solar, energy efficiency upgrades, electric vehicles and more.
About the Office of Resilience and Sustainability (ORS)
Using the city’s resilience strategy, Resilient New Orleans, as a guide, the Office of Resilience and Sustainability (ORS) works with other city departments and agencies to advise on the strategic pursuit of comprehensive resilience priorities across environmental, social, economic, and infrastructural improvement goals. ORS also leads the outreach efforts associated with resilience-building projects and the management of the projects associated with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – National Disaster Resilience Competition award. Above all, ORS leads the strategic combination of efforts to achieve multiple benefits for public, private, and nonprofit initiatives in New Orleans.
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