Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $80 million in grant funding to mitigate extreme weather impacts across New York State through flood reduction, water quality enhancements, and infrastructure modernization.
The funding package, unveiled during Climate Week, aims to assist local municipalities in upgrading critical water systems while maintaining affordability for local ratepayers.
The financial support is distributed across three grant frameworks managed by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC):
- Green resiliency grants: A total of $15.1 million has been awarded to the New York City Housing Authority, the City of Long Beach, and Lewis County for large-scale stormwater management initiatives. The EFC will open applications in October for a further $45 million tranche of funding.
- Green innovation grant program: $16.8 million has been allocated to eight regional projects spanning from Buffalo to Westchester County, focusing on nature-based solutions to reduce flooding and improve water efficiency.
- Wastewater infrastructure engineering planning grants: $3.1 million has been directed to fund 63 initial water quality projects statewide, enabling local authorities to construct formal engineering plans necessary to secure future construction financing.
The Green Resiliency Grants are funded via the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, a $4.2 billion state environmental investment. The Green Innovation and Planning Grants are supported by the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides over $1 billion annually in financial assistance and grants to New York communities.
Governor Hochul stated that the strategic investments aim to deliver environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible improvements to safeguard homes, businesses, and natural resources across the state.
Maureen A. Coleman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the EFC, noted that municipalities face increasingly severe weather events and aging infrastructure, adding that state support helps communities address these challenges without placing excessive financial burdens on local residents.
Since 2012, the EFC planning grant scheme has awarded $32 million to support 758 engineering reports, facilitating the eventual development of $2 billion in wastewater infrastructure projects statewide.
