|
The Four “R”s: Reinvest, Reuse, Retrofit, Respect
January/February 2023
 Photo by Adrian Scott Fine |
Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the EPA has been charged with implementing the $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.
The EPA requested feedback on how to manage the program. This is a tremendous opportunity for historic preservation organizations to reiterate how we are part of a national decarbonization strategy, largely through adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
In cooperation with Main Street America, National Preservation Partners Network is submitting a letter, which SOHO signed on to in December 2022, with four recommendations to the EPA. Here is part of the letter:
“In order to leverage the carbon benefits of reuse and location efficiency while also achieving key climate justice goals, we specifically request that the EPA:
- Affirmatively identify the energy-efficient adaptive reuse of existing buildings and investment in location-efficient projects as eligible projects under sections 134(a)(1)-(3).
- Provide significant discretion and flexibility in the deployment of technical assistance programs to support a wide range of skill-building and knowledge-sharing needs related to adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects.
- Enable the use of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund grants to support pre-development costs (e.g. architecture and engineering fees, financing application costs, etc.) which are a substantial barrier to adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects.
- Allow discretion and flexibility as regards lending terms for adaptive reuse and location-efficient projects to meet project-specific needs.”
|
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
|
