A new commentary in The Hill from Kresge’s Joe Evans makes the case that the federal agencies planning to deploy $27 billion to green energy projects through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund should focus on ensuring dollars land equitably through supports for “project readiness.”

From the article:

“That funding will go underutilized, and we will fail to fully leverage this historical investment without significant attention to two barriers to adoption and scale of greenhouse gas-reducing efforts in Justice40 communities.

First, organizations need access to knowledge and technical advice from trusted sources who aren’t selling products. Second, they need a modest amount of cash equity to put into projects. These barriers fall under the umbrella of “project readiness,” and they are what stop many community-based organizations from installing rooftop solar or heat pump, or from conducting energy efficiency retrofits.”

Read the full piece in The Hill here.