Ohio advocates are stepping up their clean energy efforts in response to the Republican Party platform and Project 2025, which detail how a second Trump administration would favor fossil fuels while slashing federal programs to address climate change, environmental justice and equity.
Over the past year, Ohio-based governments and groups have won hundreds of millions of dollars in awards from the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Federal policy takes on added importance in a state like Ohio, where lawmakers have already put in place additional barriers to clean energy development. It falls to local governments and private organizations to take the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Some of that work has moved forward under the Trump administration, said Mike Foley, sustainability director for Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland. But “we’ve had to scramble and fight to get projects done.”
“Having the resources of the federal government makes things a lot easier,” Foley said.
This week, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency announced a grant of about $129 million to a partnership between Cuyahoga County and the cities of Cleveland and Painesville to build a 35-megawatt solar plant and 10 megawatts of battery storage, and to close a coal-fired power plant.
In early July, the Federal Transit Authority awarded a $10.6 million grant under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority for 10 electric buses and chargers for low-income, high-ridership areas. More than $40 million will go toward other projects in Ohio.
“These dollars change communities for the better,” said Chris Tavenor, general counsel for the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund.
The 2025 Project, a policy blueprint for a possible Trump presidency produced by the Heritage Foundation, calls for repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill, threatening to fund additional work in Ohio and elsewhere, and weakening environmental protections and programs aimed at promoting equity. Although former President Donald Trump distanced himself from the 2025 Project, he has many ties to the authors and editors of the roughly 900-page report, and has repeatedly pledged to end Biden’s energy policies, which he has called “the new green scam.”
“This is like getting rid of everything that has moved the needle on climate and energy,” said Neil Waggoner, Midwest director for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal program.
Although it is not yet clear who will win in November, Republican advocates are already preparing for a possible Trump presidency.
Maximize gains
The GOP platform and the 2025 plan make clear what kinds of energy policies to expect if there is a change in administration, said Melinda Pierce, legislative director for the Sierra Club.
“It’s written in black and white,” Pierce said. So the Sierra Club is now focused on how to “protect the gains we’ve made against Trump.”
One step is helping local officials identify and apply for funding that is available now. “We don’t want to leave that money on the table,” Pierce said, adding that once the money is available, it “buys a lot of goodwill and inertia.”
That goodwill could limit the extent to which federal lawmakers cut programs that bring money to their states, according to conservative clean energy advocates who gathered at the Republican National Convention last week. Others are also working with partners to get money for ongoing projects as soon as possible.
“We are taking a proactive approach to reaching out to funders to secure funding to continue the work and advocacy for energy, climate and environmental justice,” said SeMia Bray, co-leader of Black Environmental Leaders, which works with regional partners to provide resources and support for environmental and economic justice initiatives.
Jonathan Welle, executive director of Cleveland Owns, said his organization plans to apply this summer for a “substantial federal grant that would put money in the hands of long-standing communities in Northeast Ohio, particularly Black and brown communities, so they can chart their own energy futures.”
Welle said he was not at liberty to discuss details of the proposed project, but said the group expects to hear about grant awards late this year or early 2025.
“But the timing and implementation of this measure by the federal government… depends heavily on upcoming political decisions, including the November elections,” he added.
The push to secure federal funding didn’t happen overnight. The Reimagine Appalachia coalition has been working for several years with stakeholders in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania to build capacity to absorb and allocate these funds. Periodic information sessions highlight funding opportunities and encourage networking among local and other governments to develop project ideas. There’s even an upcoming “Grant of the Month Club” event.
“It’s really important to do this work and make sure that this current opportunity is being leveraged,” said Amanda Woodrum, one of the co-directors of Reimagine Appalachia.
She also warned against speeding up the process too quickly.
“It takes time to put in place the infrastructure to actually drive the project and make sure (funding) doesn’t go through the same old political channels,” Woodrum said.
Moving too quickly also increases the risk of backlash if projects are not well thought out, do not deliver what communities want, or fail for some other reason.
“You don’t want it to go wrong,” Woodrum said. “You have to make sure you do it right.”
Transmit the message
Communication is another top priority for rights advocates as the fall elections approach.
“We are continuing our voter education efforts, ensuring that the communities we love and support have updated their registration and understand the importance of this and all local elections,” Bray said.
Volunteers with Save Ohio Parks have been trying to limit drilling and fracking in state-owned parks and wildlife areas since early 2023, and now face the possibility of more fossil fuel drilling and development under a potential Republican administration.
“But Save Ohio Parks is determined to stay positive and keep our eyes on the goal,” said Melinda Zemper, a member of the group’s steering committee. The group is expanding its volunteer base and building new coalitions with other Ohio environmental groups.
Citizens’ rights advocates also want to publicize the benefits of current federal programs so voters are aware of what’s at stake.
“The Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund will continue its work to highlight how the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and other important federal programs benefit Ohio communities and help address the causes of climate change,” Tavenor said. Without continued progress, the costs of climate change to Ohioans will worsen, he noted.
Messages from the Sierra Club, the Ohio Environmental Council Action Fund and other advocates also highlight the implications of Project 2025 for equity and democracy.
“The extreme proposals of Project 2025 are specifically designed to favor polluting industries at the expense of the health and environment of our communities,” Tavenor said. “Simply put, Project 2025 is a government takeover that threatens our democracy, designed by wealthy billionaires for their own benefit and that of their power-hungry allies.”
This article was first published on Energy News Network and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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