South Carolina-Based Regional Council of Local Government Leaders, Identified as Central Midlands Council of Governments
The Central Midlands Council of Governments in South Carolina has proposed an innovative project called the Smart Surfaces + Solar Fund (S3 Fund). This initiative, part of the council's application for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG), aims to reduce climate pollution and advance renewable energy adoption in the region.
Accelerating Climate Pollution Reduction
The purpose of the S3 Fund is to accelerate climate pollution reduction by implementing smart surfaces, such as reflective or heat-reducing materials, combined with solar photovoltaic systems. This combination aims to reduce urban heat island effects and increase clean energy generation.
Targeted Scope and Strategic Deployment
The project targets the Midlands region of South Carolina, encompassing a portfolio of local governments and communities served by the Central Midlands Council of Governments. The strategy is to strategically deploy solar installations and smart surface technologies on public and community infrastructure to maximise emissions reductions and energy savings.
Alignment with EPA CPRG Objectives
The grant application emphasises the dual benefits of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and providing equitable access to renewable energy and climate-resilience investments in the Midlands. This aligns with the broader goals of sustainability and economic development by promoting clean energy infrastructure and enhancing community resilience to climate impacts.
Key Features of the S3 Fund
The S3 Fund is a matching fund designed to increase investment in infrastructure projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A simple, accessible, and flexible funding mechanism will be established for local governments to invest in solar photovoltaics and smart surfaces projects.
The project includes an innovative program element called Community Change Microgrants. These grants are intended to assist the Central Midlands Council of Governments and local governments in promoting climate resiliency.
Impact and Benefits
The S3 Fund aims to address extreme heat, flooding, pollution, and equity challenges in the Midlands. The project will allocate funds to projects across 7 counties and 34 municipalities, with nearly 50% representing low-income and disadvantaged communities.
The project will pilot innovative, impactful, and highly visible projects to inspire additional investment and leverage ongoing community support. The cumulative CO2 equivalent reduction for the period 2025-2030 is 0.027 million metric tons, and for the period 2025-2050 is 0.037 million metric tons.
The project will create paid training opportunities and high-quality jobs for the region's diverse workforce. It will also implement up to 10 municipal solar power projects and up to 5 smart surface projects.
Funding and Authorisation
The Anticipated Award Amount for the project is $8,739,181. The CPRG program, authorised under the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide nearly $5 billion in grants for states, local governments, Tribes, and territories.
For more information about the CPRG program, visit Climate Pollution Reduction Grants. For details about the S3 Fund's scope and activities, please refer to the Central Midlands Council of Governments' EPA CPRG application.
[1] Climate Pollution Reduction Grants [2] Central Midlands Council of Governments [3] Inflation Reduction Act [4] Smart Surfaces + Solar Fund (Information about the S3 Fund may not be available due to the application process being ongoing.)
- The Smart Surfaces + Solar Fund (S3 Fund) proposes to reduce climate pollution and advance renewable energy adoption in the Midlands region by implementing smart surfaces and solar photovoltaic systems.
- The S3 Fund will strategically deploy smart surface technologies and solar installations on public and community infrastructure, focusing on low-income and disadvantaged communities in 7 counties and 34 municipalities.
- The project aims to create paid training opportunities and high-quality jobs for the region's diverse workforce, while also piloting innovative projects to inspire additional investment and community support.
- The CPRG program, authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide nearly $5 billion in grants to support projects like the S3 Fund, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote clean energy infrastructure.
