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In this issue:
Upcoming Webinar
Top Energy Savers: Lighting
December 2, 2021, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EST
This webinar will bring together a lighting manufacturer, a contractor/installer and an end-user to paint a comprehensive picture of energy reduction in lighting systems. Participants will learn about latest technologies, ways to plan a retrofit project and how to use graphical dashboards to analyze trends. This webinar is hosted by P2 grantee South Carolina Energy, Economy, Environment (SC E3) group at Clemson University as part of the “Top Energy Savers for Your Facility” webinar series.
Speakers:
- Vinay Mehta, National Account Manager, Signify N.V.
- Daniel Hancock, Owner/President, SuperGreen Solutions
- Tim Howard, Facility Manager, Clemson Watt Innovation Center
Program Updates
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Includes $100 Million for EPA’s Pollution Prevention Program
Following the passage of the historic bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, EPA announced that it will be making significant investments in the health, equity and resilience of American communities. The law delivers considerable funding to EPA, including an additional $100 million over 5 years for grants to states and tribes to provide P2 technical assistance to businesses. The additional P2 grant funding will particularly emphasize using P2 to address environmental justice in underserved communities. With this funding, more businesses will be able to get assistance to reduce toxic pollutants, cut water usage and lower costs, which will improve their operations while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and better protecting the communities in which they operate.
EPA Advisory Board Seeks to Improve Financing for Pollution Prevention
At its October public meeting, EPA’s Environmental Finance Advisory Board (EFAB) agreed to explore opportunities for and address the challenges of financing small manufacturer pollution prevention projects through a series of virtual workshops on the following topics with the goal of providing recommendations to EPA by the end of 2022.
- Financial Structures: What financing structures will help reduce barriers to risk and create economies of scale for P2 financing? (e.g., tax incentives, insurance, bundling)
- Models: What other financing models can we learn from and adapt for the P2 market? (e.g., Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), green banks, development banks, innovation funds)
- Extension Programs: What technical assistance/extension programs could EPA leverage to support program expansion and delivery? (e.g., associations, EPA Environmental Finance Centers, state, and university-based extension centers)
For more information, please contact Alison Kinn Bennett at kinn.alison@epa.gov.
New Flyer Touts Benefits of Pollution Prevention
EPA has a new flyer describing the benefits of implementing pollution prevention practices for facilities and surrounding communities. The flyer includes key statistics about the cost of waste to U.S. businesses and how much these businesses can save by preventing pollution, and important links to P2 resources such as EPA’s P2 calculators.
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Grantee Highlight
Region 7 P2 Roundtable Hosts Fall Meeting
On November 17 and 18, 2021, the EPA Region 7 Pollution Prevention Roundtable (R7P2RT) hosted its fall meeting. More than 20 participants joined the meeting, including Region 7 P2 grantees and technical assistance providers, businesses, contractors (ERG), and EPA staff from Region 7 and headquarters. Topics and presentations covered the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, partnerships with trade associations (including a presentation from EPA’s Smart Sectors Program), state program reports and updates, Biden-Harris Administration priorities, including environmental justice and climate change, an update on EPA’s regulatory landscape and direction, and 2021 Region 7 P2 award recipients. Meeting notes will be posted on the R7P2RT website soon.
Contact Nancy Larson (nlarson@ksu.edu) at Kansas State University’s Pollution Prevention Institute for more information.
P2 Helpline
The P2 Hub Helpline offers information and resources about pollution prevention. Please contact the Helpline at p2hub@epa.gov or (202) 566-0799.
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