Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) – APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN
RISE PA is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant program funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants under the IRA.
Application Materials – DEP is now accepting applications for the Medium- and Large-scale Award Tracks. The application deadline is August 29, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Instructions for the On-line Application
Note: RISE PA – Small-Scale Award Track Applicants – will begin accepting project applications in the second quarter of 2025. To be eligible, you must have a completed site assessment. See PennTAP RISE PA GRANT PROGRAM GUIDANCE
Green Bank Funding Update – Freezes, Litigation & “Cancellations”
- $14 Billion – National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF)
- $6 Billion – Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA)
This Week’s Developments – NCIF & CCIA Contracts Canceled Before Court Hearing
Administrator Zeldin Terminates Biden-Harris $20B ‘Gold Bar’ Grants March 11, 2025 – EPA Press Office Release – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin notified National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Accelerator recipients of the termination of their grant agreements under the Biden-Harris Administration’s $20 billion “gold bar” scheme. Last week, EPA formally referred to the Office of the Inspector General the well documented and concerning matter of financial mismanagement, conflicts of interest, and oversight failures with the GGRF. This program is undergoing a comprehensive review alongside concurrent investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Judge slams EPA’s climate grant cancellations: ‘You have to have some kind of evidence’ – By Alex Guillén – March 12, 2025 – Politico – Judge Tanya Chutkan offered significant criticism of EPA’s action but stopped short of saying she will side with the Climate United…But the case was turned upside down when Zeldin on Tuesday night announced he was terminating the entire grant, as well as seven others. Adam Unikowsky, an attorney with Jenner & Block representing Climate United, expressed frustration at the termination because the plaintiffs had granted the “professional courtesy” of agreeing to a one-day delay requested by EPA. Chutkan also hinted she thought the Trump administration asked for an extra day so it could pull the rug out from under this case.
Hearings Scheduled for Next Week
Ongoing Litigation by National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) Grantees
Third climate nonprofit takes Citibank to court – By Jean Chemnick, E&E News -3/11/2025 – Lawsuits are piling up against the bank as it faces pressure from the Trump administration to freeze climate funding.
Another climate nonprofit sues Citibank over frozen EPA funds – by Jean Chemnick – E&E News – March 10, 2025 – A second nonprofit has filed a lawsuit against Citibank to unlock climate funding awarded through the EPA’s multibillion-dollar green bank initiative. The Coalition for Green Capital sued the bank Monday for allegedly violating its terms with the federal government by barring access to its accounts and those of 19 smaller groups that it lends money to. The move escalates a legal fight over the Trump administration’s decision to halt funding to a $14 billion clean energy finance program created under the Inflation Reduction Act. Citibank oversees the account holding the money and is under pressure by the Trump administration to return the money.
EPA froze ‘green bank’ funds worth billions, climate group suit says – by MICHAEL PHILLIS and MATTHEW DALY – AP – March 12, 2025
Trump admin says it’s ‘terminated’ $20B green bank in latest escalation – by Jeff St. John Canary Media – March 12, 2025 – The EPA program, which provides financing to help low-income communities adopt clean energy, has been an ongoing target of Trump’s funding freeze.
Environmental NGO sues Trump’s EPA, Citibank over funding freeze – by Rich McKay – March 8, 2025 – Reuters – An environmental nonprofit sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Citibank on Saturday, seeking billions of dollars for solar and other projects frozen by the bank as the Trump administration slashes federal spending.
Climate Nonprofit Sues E.P.A. Over Billions in Frozen Funds – By Claire Brown – March 8, 2025 – New York Times – In a lawsuit, Climate United claims the E.P.A. is illegally withholding funds that have become a target of the Trump administration. A multibillion-dollar dispute between the Environmental Protection Agency and several nonprofit organizations escalated on Saturday when one group sued the E.P.A. and Citibank, seeking access to grant money that has been frozen under President Trump.
Climate Group Sues EPA Over Frozen Billions in Bank Accounts – By Jeffrey Young Newsweek – March 8, 2025 – One of the groups that received billions of dollars from an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions is suing the EPA and Citibank after the group’s bank accounts were frozen. “This isn’t about politics, it’s about economics,” Climate United CEO Beth Bafford said in a statement. “We’re going to court for the communities we serve—not because we want to, but because we have to.” – Climate United, a public-private investment fund, is among eight groups awarded a total of $20 billion last year through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress in 2022.
CLIMATE UNITED FUND v. CITIBANK, N.A. et al, Docket No. 1:25-cv-00698 (D.D.C. Mar 08, 2025) – COMPLAINT FOR DECLARATORY AND INJUNCTIVE RELIEF
MEMORANDUM OF LAW IN SUPPORT OF CLIMATE UNITED FUND’S MOTION FOR TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER – Case 1:25-cv-00698 – Filed 03/10/25
PA Solar for All Program & Energy Accelerator Programs Update
A Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) Board of Directors Meeting was held on March 11, 2025 at 10:00AM at the Rachel Carson State Office Building. Presentation Slides are linked here. Highlights included:
PEDA Energy Accelerator Program (EAP) 2024 Report
Keystone Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP) — $1.16 million, 207 applications across PA (see Slide 16) – 254 approved contractors
Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program — $1.97 million, 42 local governments funded (see Slide 18) – Current 2025-2026 plan is to extend MORE into 2025 with a $3 million DOE Grant – for a $9 million revolving loan fund.
Solar for All – EPA grant portal open, working on December 2024 Workplan with EPA on Solar for All program (a “living document”) & continued work on leveraging other funds.
Solar for Schools – DOE LPO Grant application pending – $100 million program plan.
PEDA Board Approvals – March 11, 2025
- Grant Application to Green Bank for Rural America — $11 million for Energy Independence for Municipalities, Builds on successes of MORE program – municipalities in Appalachian counties, Targeted to low income & rural municipalities
- Strategic Lending Partnership with Philadelphia Green Capital Corp. – pass through funding from NCIF funded Coalition for Green Capital – for residential programs in rural areas – $4.93 million (similar amount dedicated to SEPA region).
- PA Bright – Grant Request from Capital Good Fund (Slides 34-45) — $500,000 – PEDA funds will de-risk and lower rate on debt by 100 basis points. Savings are then passed along directly to PA consumers (Slide 42), $4,986,000 total PA Bright Pilot Program Project, $1.336,000 from Hienz, Hillman, Pitts. & BQuest Foundations (Slide 42)
- PA BRIGHT: Program & Expansion Goals – Pilot will support up to 150 PA homeowners, 100 in Southwest, 50 in Southeast (Slide 40)
PFM Recommendations to EAP for Further Program Development (Slides 10-12)
- Development of an Overarching Energy Accelerator Program EAP & Application
- Operating “One-Stop-Shop” Framework and Systems Infrastructure
Combined EAP applications in 2025-2026 for the Green Energy Loan Fund (GELF), Keystone Energy Efficiency Program (KEEP), Municipal Opportunities for Retrofits and Energy Efficiency (MORE) Program, Solar for All & Solar for Schools – general idea is that applicants will be able to tap into all eligible EAP funding for proposed projects.
Editor’s Note – not presented at PEDA Meeting
House Bill 362 – 2025-2026 Regular Session – PEDA Authority/PA Green Bank — An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in Energy Development Authority and emergency powers – will provide for use of federal money for Solar for All Program.
Clips and a Court Order from two federal court decisions yesterday (related to BIL/IRA implementation) are also included below.
The administration filed an appeal of the SF Court decision an hour or so after the hearing ended, so the Court Orders described in the news clips are certainly not the last word on the layoffs of federal probationary employees.
Thousands of fired federal workers must be rehired immediately, judge rules – by Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney – Politico – March 13, 2025 – A federal judge on Thursday ordered federal agencies to rehire tens of thousands of probationary employees who were fired amid President Donald Trump’s turbulent effort to drastically shrink the federal bureaucracy. U.S. District Judge William Alsup described the mass firings as a “sham” strategy by the government’s central human resources office.
Judges order Trump officials to offer jobs back to thousands of fired workers – by Salvador Rizzo and Katie Mettler – Washington Post – March 14, 2025 – In separate rulings, judges in Maryland and California ordered the reinstatement of probationary workers fired last month across many agencies. The two federal judges on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to immediately offer jobs back to thousands of fired probationary workers as they imposed separate, broad roadblocks on the administration’s efforts. The rulings — in Maryland and California — mark the most significant challenge so far to Trump’s campaign to shrink and reshape the sprawling, 2.3-million-person bureaucracy.
See Temporary Restraining Order – from Maryland vs. USDA – US District Court – March 13, 2025 @ 8:00PM – Hon. James K. Bredar.