Latest news with #NevadaCleanEnergyFund
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EPA terminates $20 million Walker River Paiute Tribe water infrastructure grant
The Walker River Paiute Tribe's $20 million Community Change Grant is one of more than 780 environmental justice grants terminated by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis) The Environmental Protection Agency has terminated a $20 million grant that would have funded the construction of critical water and energy infrastructure on the Walker River Paiute Tribe reservation in Northern Nevada. Nevada's Clean Energy Fund was notified May 1 the EPA terminated a $20 million Community Change Grant awarded to the nonprofit to advance major infrastructure projects that would help the Walker River Paiute Tribe adapt to the impacts of climate change. The grant is one of more than 780 environmental justice grants terminated by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, according to court documents filed as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the Trump administration. In the termination notice, the EPA said the objectives of Nevada's Community Change Grant 'are no longer consistent with EPA funding priorities.' The funds have been frozen since March 7 when the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, which administers the funds, lost access to the EPA's online grant management portal. Part of the grant funding was earmarked for the construction of the Tribe's Water Looping Project, which would have supplied drinking water to more than 100 homes and businesses that currently rely on declining well water. Between aging pipes, pollutants and regional drought, the Tribe's existing water infrastructure has been stretched to its limits — compromising both public health and economic development. If completed, the water infrastructure project would have also allowed the Tribe to build more homes and businesses on the reservation, creating economic development and job opportunities for the rural community. The Water Looping Project has secured additional grants from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. But without the EPA grant, construction for the project can't start, putting the project's other funding sources at risk. 'They're at a critical juncture where they need to keep moving that forward if they want to meet their construction and operational deadlines that are related to other funds that they've secured for that project,' said Kirsten Stasio, the CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund. Over the past four years, the Walker River Paiute Tribe has already invested nearly $2 million in planning, engineering, and permitting for the water infrastructure project. Before Trump took office, the Tribe had an ambitious plan to complete the project by May 2027. The EPA grant would have also funded the construction of a planned Nutritional Wellness Building on the Walker River Paiute Tribe reservation, which would have served as a community resilience hub during power outages and natural disasters. The Walker River Paiute Tribe also planned to use the remaining EPA grant funds to help Tribal members transition away from propane and wood heating by providing home energy retrofits for 150 homes on the reservation. Nevada's $20 million Community Change Grant was awarded under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program, a $2.8 billion financial assistance program created by the Inflation Reduction Act. The grant was one of hundreds terminated by the agency as part of a widespread effort by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut back on spending and dramatically reshape the federal government. According to court documents, the EPA plans to terminate a total of 781 grants issued under President Joe Biden, including all grants awarded under the Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement Program. Most of the programs and grants listed for termination are focused on environmental justice and include projects to help some of the most underinvested communities adapt to the effects of climate change. Stasio, the CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said she fears Nevada's $20 million Community Change Grant has been caught up in a sweep of anti-DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — efforts at the federal level, despite the grant's focus on funding critical water and energy infrastructure. The termination notice sent to the Nevada Clean Energy Fund suggests the grant was canceled after EPA Administrator Zeldin determined the grant conflicted with the agency's 'policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence' under constitutional and statutory law. The termination of hundreds of EPA grants also comes after the agency announced plans to fire nearly 300 employees working on diversity, equity, and inclusion and environmental justice issues last month. Stasio said the Nevada Clean Energy Fund is now focused on convincing the federal government Nevada's EPA Community Change Grant does align with the current federal administration's priorities of energy independence, job growth, and critical infrastructure development for rural communities. 'We are working with EPA and urging them to reinstate this grant. The grant would support important economic development and energy resilience projects in rural communities in Northern Nevada,' said Stasio. Democratic lawmakers have condemned the administration's grant cancellations while lawsuits are ongoing over whether the EPA violated its legal obligations when clawing back funds through freezes and shutouts. A day after the EPA sent out hundreds of termination letters to grant recipients, Democratic Sen. Edward Markey of Massachusetts — a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee — condemned the EPA's plan to cancel nearly 800 congressionally obligated environmental justice grants, adding that Community Change Grants provide 'long-overdue resources' to 'underinvested frontline and fenceline communities.' 'The administration's funding freezes have wreaked havoc on communities that are counting on federal investments to weather storms more safely, breathe cleaner air, drink cleaner water, live closer to green space, and save on utility bills,' Markey said.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump funding freeze threatens Walker Paiute water security
Jeniffer SolisNevada Current Reliable drinking water, new homes, and energy upgrades are now further out of reach for members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe after the Trump administration froze $20 million in federal funding awarded to the Tribe. The Walker River Paiute Tribe was notified March 7 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspended — and may soon terminate — a contractually obligated $20 million Community Change Grant awarded in October. Tribal leaders say the move will likely kill a critical water infrastructure project a decade in the making that would bring drinking water to more than 100 reservation homes and businesses currently rely on a dwindling well water supply. Without the funding, the construction of a planned energy project that would provide energy upgrades for 150 homes on the reservation and community resilience hub would also be eliminated. Joseph Frank, project manager for Walker River Paiute Tribe, said the grant freeze was just the latest in a series of funding setbacks brought on by the Trump administration. 'With a lot of these cuts that have come down, we are definitely feeling strained,' Frank told the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Indigenous Economic Development Community of Practice last week. Funds from the EPA grant were frozen for a week in January when the Nevada Clean Energy Fund — a nonprofit bank that administers the funds — lost access to the EPA's online grant management portal, before they were unfrozen, then frozen again this month. 'The uncertainty to the grant is the ever changing status, it becomes active, then suspended and this makes it impossible to continue with our projects,' said Walker River Paiute Tribe Chair Melanie McFalls in a press release Monday. Termination of the EPA grant would 'definitely be a nail in the coffin, or, you know, one of many,' said Frank. Between aging pipes, pollutants and regional drought, the Tribe's existing water infrastructure has been stretched to its limits — compromising both public health and economic development, said McFalls. Before Trump took office, the Tribe had an ambitious plan to complete the project by May 2027, according to McFalls. The 'Water Looping Project' secured about $8 million in funding from several other federal agencies — including the Economic Development Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, and Indian Health Services — and about $2.5 million in state matching funds. But without the EPA grant, the Tribe will not be able to fully complete the project. Kirsten Stasio, CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said the Walker River Paiute Tribe has only used about $70,000 of the $20 million EPA grant, but has 'already made significant investments in the engineering and design' of the project. Stasio said the EPA has offered no explanation for why the funds were frozen on March 7, and whether they will be reinstated: 'We're not getting a lot of information from the EPA or communication.' Funding for water infrastructure would allow the Walker River Paiute Tribe to build more homes and businesses on the reservation. Frank, the project manager for the tribe, said there is a strong demand for homes on the reservation, but without the right infrastructure they can't be built. 'That project is definitely a cornerstone for the community, because if we don't get that done, we're not going to be able to build more homes,' Frank said. 'We definitely do not have enough housing, and we cannot add more houses into the structures that we have currently, because the system is already being taxed as it is.' Lack of adequate water infrastructure on the reservation also means much of the reservation lacks the water pressure needed for fire hydrants, putting homes on the reservation at severe risk of fire damage. A study by the Department of the Interior found that existing water storage capacity on the reservation falls short of meeting current codes for fire suppression. Additionally, insurance companies will not insure buildings without proper water infrastructure which hinders housing and commercial development. 'A lot of insurance companies will not come to the reservation because the fire department does not have the capability' to sustain the water pressure needed to fight fires, Frank said. 'They require you to be able to run so much water, gallonage per minute, per hour,' Frank said. 'We don't have the capacity in our infrastructure to run that at this time.' Funding from the EPA Community Change Grant would also allow the Tribe to fund a community solar project that would provide energy upgrades for 150 homes on the Walker River reservation. 'Because we live in a more rural area, electricity out here fluctuates. Some days we may have electricity. Other times it's the power bumps that really raise Cain with the system,' Frank said. Funding from the frozen EPA grant was also earmarked to fund the construction of a new nutritional wellness building on the Walker River reservation, that would serve as a community resilience hub during heat waves and other natural disasters. Tribal leaders said the cascade of federal funding cuts from the Trump administration this month has already impacted the Tribe's current food pantry, which serves tribal and nontribal customers alike. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture axed the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program that provided three tribes in Nevada with more than $1 million in fresh produce and meats from local farmers and ranchers. Stasio, the CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said she fears the EPA grant for the Walker River Paiute Tribe has been caught up in a sweep of anti-DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — efforts at the federal level, despite the grant's focus on vital infrastructure. Funding for the EPA Community Change Grant was provided through the Environmental and Climate Justice Program, a $2.8 billion financial assistance program created by the Inflation Reduction Act. EPA Administrator Zeldin cancelled grants and contracts related to DEI and environmental justice in his first round of spending cuts. 'This is just investing in critical infrastructure in our community, in our Tribal communities. It's attracting much needed investment, jobs, and economic development in that region,' Stasio said. The federal government is required by law to uphold its trust responsibility to tribes — a legal obligation under which the United States must protect tribal sovereignty and provide basic social services for tribal nations. 'Tribes are sovereign nations. It's not about DEI or environmental justice,' Stasio continued. More than 400 EPA grants were terminated by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin this month, with the assistance of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. 'As with any change in Administration, the agency is reviewing its grant funding to ensure it is appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and to understand how those programs align with Administration priorities,' an EPA spokesperson said in response to questions about why the contractually obligated funding was cut.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump funding freeze threatens Walker Paiute water security, housing development
Walker Lake outside Walker River Paiute Tribe reservation. (Photo: Jeniffer Solis/Nevada Current) Reliable drinking water, new homes, and community solar power are now further out of reach for members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe after the Trump administration froze $20 million in federal funding awarded to the Tribe. The Walker River Paiute Tribe was notified March 7 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suspended — and may soon terminate — a contractually obligated $20 million Community Change Grant awarded in October. Tribal leaders say the move will likely kill a critical water infrastructure project a decade in the making that would bring drinking water to more than 100 reservation homes and businesses currently rely on a dwindling well water supply. Without the funding, the construction of a planned community solar project that would provide energy upgrades for 150 homes on the reservation and community resilience hub would also be eliminated. Joseph Frank, project manager for Walker River Paiute Tribe, said the grant freeze was just the latest in a series of funding setbacks brought on by the Trump administration. 'With a lot of these cuts that have come down, we are definitely feeling strained,' Frank told the U.S. Economic Development Administration's Indigenous Economic Development Community of Practice last week. Funds from the EPA grant were frozen for a week in January when the Nevada Clean Energy Fund — a nonprofit bank that administers the funds — lost access to the EPA's online grant management portal, before they were unfrozen, then frozen again this month. 'The uncertainty to the grant is the ever changing status, it becomes active, then suspended and this makes it impossible to continue with our projects,' said Walker River Paiute Tribe Chair Melanie McFalls in a press release Monday. Termination of the EPA grant would 'definitely be a nail in the coffin, or, you know, one of many,' said Frank. Between aging pipes, pollutants and regional drought, the Tribe's existing water infrastructure has been stretched to its limits — compromising both public health and economic development, said McFalls. Before Trump took office, the Tribe had an ambitious plan to complete the project by May 2027, according to McFalls. The 'Water Looping Project' secured about $8 million in funding from several other federal agencies — including the Economic Development Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, and Indian Health Services — and nearly $3 million in state matching funds. But without the EPA grant, the Tribe will not be able to fully complete the project. Kirsten Stasio, CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said the Walker River Paiute Tribe has only used about $70,000 of the $20 million EPA grant, but has 'already made significant investments in the engineering and design' of the project. Stasio said the EPA has offered no explanation for why the funds were frozen on March 7, and whether they will be reinstated: 'We're not getting a lot of information from the EPA or communication.' Funding for water infrastructure would allow the Walker River Paiute Tribe to build more homes and businesses on the reservation. Frank, the project manager for the tribe, said there is a strong demand for homes on the reservation, but without the right infrastructure they can't be built. 'That project is definitely a cornerstone for the community, because if we don't get that done, we're not going to be able to build more homes,' Frank said. 'We definitely do not have enough housing, and we cannot add more houses into the structures that we have currently, because the system is already being taxed as it is.' Lack of adequate water infrastructure on the reservation also means much of the reservation lacks the water pressure needed for fire hydrants, putting homes on the reservation at severe risk of fire damage. A study by the Department of the Interior found that existing water storage capacity on the reservation falls short of meeting current codes for fire suppression. Additionally, insurance companies will not insure buildings without proper water infrastructure which hinders housing and commercial development. 'A lot of insurance companies will not come to the reservation because the fire department does not have the capability' to sustain the water pressure needed to fight fires, Frank said. 'They require you to be able to run so much water, gallonage per minute, per hour,' Frank said. 'We don't have the capacity in our infrastructure to run that at this time.' Funding from the EPA Community Change Grant would also allow the Tribe to fund a community solar project that would provide energy upgrades for 150 homes on the Walker River reservation. 'Because we live in a more rural area, electricity out here fluctuates. Some days we may have electricity. Other times it's the power bumps that really raise Cain with the system,' Frank said. Funding from the frozen EPA grant was also earmarked to fund the construction of a new nutritional wellness building on the Walker River reservation, that would serve as a community resilience hub during heat waves and other natural disasters. Tribal leaders said the cascade of federal funding cuts from the Trump administration this month has already impacted the Tribe's current food pantry, which serves tribal and nontribal customers alike. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture axed the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program that provided three tribes in Nevada with more than $1 million in fresh produce and meats from local farmers and ranchers. Stasio, the CEO of the Nevada Clean Energy Fund, said she fears the EPA grant for the Walker River Paiute Tribe has been caught up in a sweep of anti-DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — efforts at the federal level, despite the grant's focus on vital infrastructure. Funding for the EPA Community Change Grant was provided through the Environmental and Climate Justice Program, a $2.8 billion financial assistance program created by the Inflation Reduction Act. EPA Administrator Zeldin cancelled grants and contracts related to DEI and environmental justice in his first round of spending cuts. 'This is just investing in critical infrastructure in our community, in our Tribal communities. It's attracting much needed investment, jobs, and economic development in that region,' Stasio said. The federal government is required by law to uphold its trust responsibility to tribes — a legal obligation under which the United States must protect tribal sovereignty and provide basic social services for tribal nations. 'Tribes are sovereign nations. It's not about DEI or environmental justice,' Stasio continued. More than 400 EPA grants were terminated by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin this month, with the assistance of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. 'As with any change in Administration, the agency is reviewing its grant funding to ensure it is appropriate use of taxpayer dollars and to understand how those programs align with Administration priorities,' an EPA spokesperson said in response to questions about why the contractually obligated funding was cut.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA partially unfreezes NV solar funding, but $7M for school buses, $20M for Tribes, still in doubt
(Photo: Ronda Churchill/Nevada Current) Following a federal judge's order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has lifted the funding freeze on $156 million in community solar for Nevada, but other program funds remain paused. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday to lift a funding freeze affecting climate-related programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act, allowing the Nevada Clean Energy Fund to regain access to millions in funding legally obligated to the state on Friday. 'As of February 7, 2025, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) has regained access to the full $156 million of Solar for All award funds, ensuring continued investment in solar energy projects across Nevada. We appreciate the leadership of Nevada officials in advocating for our communities and securing these critical resources,' said Kirsten Stasio, the CEO for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund. The funds have been frozen since Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the immediate halt of energy grants, loans, and contracts funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. But not all funds have been returned to Nevada despite the court order, including $7.7 million legally obligated to Nevada under the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. The funds would cover the deployment of 25 new electric school buses across Nevada, with no upfront cost to schools. Nevada's rural counties are the largest benefactors of the Clean School Bus Program, with awards promised to Lander County, Elko County, Lyon County, Douglas County, and Carson City School Districts. Nevada has also not regained access to its legally obligated Community Change Grants as of Friday, including a $20 million award to develop water infrastructure and community solar energy for the 1,200 members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe who live on the Walker River Reservation. 'NCEF will continue to press for the protection of legally obligated Solar for All funds, in addition to the unfreezing of other federal funds such as under the Clean School Bus and Community Change Grant programs. Restoring access to these funds will allow us to further reduce energy costs for hardworking families, communities, and schools statewide, driving economic growth and prosperity across Nevada,' Stasio said. Funding from the Community Change Grant awarded to the Walker River Paiute Tribe in December would have provided energy upgrades to 150 homes, secured solar and battery storage for the Tribe's Nutritional Wellness Building, and expanded critical water infrastructure. The EPA did not immediately respond to inquiries about the status of funding for Nevada's Clean School Bus Program and Community Change Grant. Since the Nevada Clean Energy Fund was created in 2017 under Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, Nevada has contributed several rounds of funding to it in anticipation of additional federal funds. In 2023, the Nevada Legislature allocated $1 million to the fund before submitting an application for the EPA's Solar for All grant months later. The legality of freezing contractually obligated funds, despite a court order to lift the funding pause, is being challenged in court by several states, including Nevada. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined a coalition of 23 attorneys generals on Friday in a motion asking the court to enforce an order to lift the funding freeze while their case challenging the freeze moves through the court system. 'My office continues to receive reports regarding a lack of access to federal funds, even after a federal court placed a temporary restraining order on President Trump's funding freeze,' said Ford in a statement Friday. 'We will continue to fight back against any action by the Trump administration that runs afoul of the law, and that includes seeking redress from the court if lawful orders from our judiciary are not followed. President Trump's unilateral federal funding freeze is unlawful and would be devastating to services relied upon by Nevadans all across our state.' The motion cited evidence of ongoing funding disruptions to states, including federal funds that have remained blocked despite the court's temporary order requiring the Trump administration to release funds. The motion warns that without access to federal funding awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law several states could face immediate cash shortfalls, making it difficult to administer basic programs like healthcare and food for children.
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA partially unfreezes NV solar funding, but $7M for school buses, $20M for Tribes, still in doubt
(Photo: Ronda Churchill/Nevada Current) Following a federal judge's order, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has lifted the funding freeze on $156 million in community solar for Nevada, but other program funds remain paused. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Monday to lift a funding freeze affecting climate-related programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and Inflation Reduction Act, allowing the Nevada Clean Energy Fund to regain access to millions in funding legally obligated to the state on Friday. 'As of February 7, 2025, the Nevada Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) has regained access to the full $156 million of Solar for All award funds, ensuring continued investment in solar energy projects across Nevada. We appreciate the leadership of Nevada officials in advocating for our communities and securing these critical resources,' said Kirsten Stasio, the CEO for the Nevada Clean Energy Fund. The funds have been frozen since Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the immediate halt of energy grants, loans, and contracts funded through the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. But not all funds have been returned to Nevada despite the court order, including $7.7 million legally obligated to Nevada under the EPA's Clean School Bus Program. The funds would cover the deployment of 25 new electric school buses across Nevada, with no upfront cost to schools. Nevada's rural counties are the largest benefactors of the Clean School Bus Program, with awards promised to Lander County, Elko County, Lyon County, Douglas County, and Carson City School Districts. Nevada has also not regained access to its legally obligated Community Change Grants as of Friday, including a $20 million award to develop water infrastructure and community solar energy for the 1,200 members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe who live on the Walker River Reservation. 'NCEF will continue to press for the protection of legally obligated Solar for All funds, in addition to the unfreezing of other federal funds such as under the Clean School Bus and Community Change Grant programs. Restoring access to these funds will allow us to further reduce energy costs for hardworking families, communities, and schools statewide, driving economic growth and prosperity across Nevada,' Stasio said. Funding from the Community Change Grant awarded to the Walker River Paiute Tribe in December would have provided energy upgrades to 150 homes, secured solar and battery storage for the Tribe's Nutritional Wellness Building, and expanded critical water infrastructure. The EPA did not immediately respond to inquiries about the status of funding for Nevada's Clean School Bus Program and Community Change Grant. Since the Nevada Clean Energy Fund was created in 2017 under Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, Nevada has contributed several rounds of funding to it in anticipation of additional federal funds. In 2023, the Nevada Legislature allocated $1 million to the fund before submitting an application for the EPA's Solar for All grant months later. The legality of freezing contractually obligated funds, despite a court order to lift the funding pause, is being challenged in court by several states, including Nevada. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford joined a coalition of 23 attorneys generals on Friday in a motion asking the court to enforce an order to lift the funding freeze while their case challenging the freeze moves through the court system. 'My office continues to receive reports regarding a lack of access to federal funds, even after a federal court placed a temporary restraining order on President Trump's funding freeze,' said Ford in a statement Friday. 'We will continue to fight back against any action by the Trump administration that runs afoul of the law, and that includes seeking redress from the court if lawful orders from our judiciary are not followed. President Trump's unilateral federal funding freeze is unlawful and would be devastating to services relied upon by Nevadans all across our state.' The motion cited evidence of ongoing funding disruptions to states, including federal funds that have remained blocked despite the court's temporary order requiring the Trump administration to release funds. The motion warns that without access to federal funding awarded under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law several states could face immediate cash shortfalls, making it difficult to administer basic programs like healthcare and food for children.
