The Just & Clean Energy Future—State Implementation Accelerator

Communities First, in partnership with NASEO, AASHTO, Emerald Cities Collaborative, New Urban Mobility Alliance, Race Forward, Lawyers for Good Government, NRDC, and key federal agencies implementing clean energy and infrastructure investments as part of the Invest in America agenda, launched the Just and Clean Energy Future—State Implementation Accelerator (The Accelerator) to help states leverage new federal investments to build resiliency and improve the health, economy, and well-being of their residents.

The Accelerator Cohort includes Maryland, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington. Each state will receive support to navigate the spectrum of federal resources at their disposal through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and Justice40-covered programs — prioritizing funds that incorporate an equity analysis and implementation strategies specifically for low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDAC). 

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Invest in America Agenda provides a rare opportunity for states to invest in these priorities and turn big ambitions into tangible progress. State policymakers must lean into this moment and align their climate strategies with equity priorities to fully equip them to receive and deliver these investments to their frontline communities through projects that center equity and drive decarbonization.

This includes all federal investments across one or more of the following seven areas: climate change, clean energy and energy efficiency, clean transit, affordable and sustainable housing, training and workforce development, remediation and reduction of legacy pollution, and the development of critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

The Accelerator will help states consider what is necessary to meet this unprecedented funding moment and design implementation strategies to benefit communities for future generations to come, particularly targeting systems change strategies. In addition, states will gain valuable insights from other states through the cohort model designed for shared learning, dissemination of best practices, and support thinking through complex challenges and be positioned to braid together multiple funding sources to maximize the impact of federal funding.

Communities First and partners will also host a Learning Cohort to support additional states with webinars on common state implementation challenges and provide opportunities to engage with federal partners and other state officials.