A digest of infrastructure news and funding opportunities. 

The What Works Plus (WW+) funder collaborative is a partnership coordination hub across philanthropy, government, and nonprofits to advance equity and climate resilience through thoughtful implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)’s once-in-a-generation investment in America's infrastructure.

OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH WW+

A snapshot of learning events and high-impact BIL implementation-related opportunities in need of philanthropic support. If you would like more information about the following opportunities, contact info@whatworksplus.com.

Funding Opportunity: Jobs to Move America (JMA) - “Empowering Communities”

The Gap: With recent federal investments in green infrastructure and manufacturing, there is an opportunity to move the needle on climate projects, workforce development, and business opportunities in communities that need them the most. However, longstanding federal grant rules prohibit local hire, restrict states and cities from requiring contractors to hire from local communities, and omit equity and community-oriented criteria in bids and contracts. To address these gaps, JMA has been organizing to change federal regulatory policy to specifically encourage local governments to use local hire, equity, and good job criteria in federally funded infrastructure projects. 

The Opportunity: JMA’s “Empowering Communities” proposal aims to support local governments and communities as they navigate BIL funding. The project would: 1) develop a peer-to-peer technical assistance program for state and local officials working on local hire programs, 2) seek to update federal grant rules that limit agencies from purchasing goods and services in a way that maximizes equity, good jobs, and social impact, and 3) design a new green industry program dedicated to research and target organizing for good jobs and Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) in emerging green technology spaces. You can read JMA’s full concept note here. 

SEPTEMBER SPOTLIGHT: NEWS FROM CORE MEMBERS & FRIENDS

Have a notable infrastructure-related investment, partnership or event coming up? Let us know at info@whatworksplus.com to be featured next month.

• Accelerator For America kicked off their BIL #InfrastructureWorks video campaign with a video from White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. The campaign encourages mayors and governors to record their own videos to “demonstrate to the public how infrastructure really works.”

• The State Funding Readiness Project (SFRP) provides free technical support to states implementing funding from BIL and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in ways that prioritize climate benefits. Through the SFRP, Hua Nani Partners and the U.S. Climate Alliance will help states apply for federal funding opportunities, identify Justice40 and equity priorities, strengthen technical implementation plans, and inform state budget processes for match funding requirements and additional eligible use funds. You can reach out to Kirsten Jurich at kirsten@huanani.com for more information about SFRP. 

• The National Governors Association has worked with governors across the country to host infrastructure-focused events, including in Kansas, Louisiana, and Arizona, and is currently planning a third workshop for state infrastructure coordinators in November, as well as a summit on electric vehicles in Greenville, South Carolina.

• The Hewlett Foundation launched the Climate Champions series, which features articles about grantees working to advance climate solutions across the globe.

• This month, The Kresge Foundation highlighted one of its grantees, the Environmental Policy Innovation Center and their efforts to provide clean water in CA communities. 

INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS UPDATES

A snapshot of this month’s key infrastructure news. 

Announcements From The White House:

• The White House Equitable Data Working Group is looking for recommendations from the public through a Federal Request for Information on “how Federal agencies can better support collaboration with other levels of government, civil society, and the research community around the production and use of equitable data.” Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit comments on or before 5 p.m. ET, October 3, 2022. Find more details here.

• President Biden announced the 21 winners (selected from 60 finalists and a total pool of 529 applicants) of the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA)’s $1 billion Build Back Better Regional Challenge. Funded by the American Rescue Plan, the Challenge is funding regional coalitions  to “rebuild regional economies, promote inclusive and equitable recovery, and create thousands of good-paying jobs in industries of the future such as clean energy, next-generation manufacturing, and biotechnology.” A special congratulations to Irvine Foundation grantee, Central Valley Community Foundation, for their win!

Climate:

• John Podesta was appointed by President Biden as Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. Podesta will oversee $370 billion in clean energy funds that will develop wind and solar energy tax incentives for U.S. industries and provide tax incentives to consumers making clean energy investments or purchasing electric vehicles. 

• Jackson, Mississippi’s residents were left without access to safe drinking water this month after torrential downpours shuttered the city’s long-ailing wastewater treatment plant. While Mississippi expects $429 million from BIL to upgrade water and sewage systems, Jackson - which estimates that modernizing the city's infrastructure could cost as much as $2 billion - has long struggled to secure infrastructure funding from the state.

• Hurricane Fiona knocked out power to all of Puerto Rico and left many without running water this week, exactly 5 years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island and left its infrastructure far from resilient enough to absorb any new shocks. Federal infrastructure funding for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria was largely limited to immediate relief work in the aftermath of the storm, while funding for longer-term recovery became snarled in political squabbling. As a result, infrastructure rebuilt after Hurricane Maria was largely wiped out in this new storm.

• President Biden addressed the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly this week and called on world leaders to “meet the enormous infrastructure needs around the world,” pointing to the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which the U.S. is developing in collaboration with G7 countries to collectively mobilize $600 billion by 2027 in order to close the infrastructure gap in developing countries, and strengthen the global economy and supply chains.

• Several federal agencies have made notable announcements this month about BIL funding allocations to address the climate crisis and foster job creation:

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced more than $65 million in investments, made possible by BIL, to improve water quality, roads, trails and fish habitat nationwide, in addition to supporting projects that serve rural community needs and create jobs.

  • The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $66 million in funding for Urban Integrated Field Laboratories in Baltimore, Chicago, and the Texas Gulf Coast to study the impact of extreme weather on communities and local infrastructure.  

  • The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) released draft guidelines to Tribes on how to apply for the first $50 million in grant funding available this year under BIL to clean up orphaned oil and gas well sites on Tribal lands and create good-paying union jobs in the process. Comments on the guidance can be submitted until October 24, 2022.

Good Jobs & Procurement:

• The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)’s Minority Business Development Agency announced a series of partnerships that will connect small and disadvantaged businesses to infrastructure projects.

New Resources:

• DOE recently released the ‘Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap’ to serve as an agenda for government, industry, and other stakeholders to “work together to accelerate emissions reductions and position the U.S. industrial sector as a global leader in innovation.”

• In partnership with DOE’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the White House released the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation website to help U.S. communities monitor and track climate-related hazards, such as wildfire and flooding, in real time. The website will help state, local, federal, and tribal governments develop equitable climate resilience plans to protect people, property, and infrastructure. Users can also explore federal grant funds for climate resilience projects, including those available through BIL. 

WW+ Infrastructure Bulletin: September Edition