WRI has been providing education and support for cities, towns, tribal communities and counties since the BIL was signed in 2021. In partnership with RMI and through the City Renewables Accelerator, we ran a six-part Federal Funding Learning Series; developed the America’s Federal Funding Opportunities and Resources for Decarbonization (AFFORD) tool (a searchable database of available funding opportunities); and developed funding guidance to support local governments as they pursue grants.

Building on this work, WRI supports the Local Infrastructure Hub, an initiative of the National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors and other partners to support smaller cities and towns. We ran a Climate Action Bootcamp series for the Hub to support local governments with populations under 150,000 as they navigate different clean energy project strategies, funding opportunities, and the equitable implementation of clean energy deployment in their communities.

Through the Electric School Bus Initiative, WRI supports school districts, cities and states in accessing BIL and IRA programs that drive school bus electrification. These programs include the Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles Program, the Clean School Bus Program, and relevant tax incentives (45W and 30C) that are eligible for elective pay.