Jefferson Reporter

Congressmen Brett Guthrie, Gary Palmer, and Morgan Griffith have launched an investigation into the recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) grants. The inquiry stems from concerns about the program's structure, the diligence in selecting recipients, and the capacity of these recipients to manage federal funds.

"The Committee has had concerns about the GGRF program since its creation—including the program’s unusual structure, a potential lack of due diligence in selecting award recipients, and the recipients’ ability to manage the large influx of federal dollars they received from the EPA," the chairmen stated. They emphasized the importance of this investigation in ensuring that the funds were awarded fairly and are being used appropriately.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act to establish the $27 billion GGRF program. From these funds, $20 billion was distributed to eight grant recipients. The National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) program received $14 billion divided among three recipients, while the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) program accounted for $6 billion distributed to five recipients.

The NCIF recipients include the Coalition for Green Capital, Climate United Fund, and Power Forward Communities. The CCIA recipients are the Justice Climate Fund, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv, Native CDFI Network, and Appalachian Community Capital.

There is an ongoing evaluation to determine the application process's impartiality and the utilization of the federal funds by the recipients.