Last week, the impact investing community celebrated an important step forward in ensuring that U.S. communities' priorities are centered in the clean energy transition. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the eight recipients of funding under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s (GGRF) National Clean Investment Fund and Clean Communities Investment Fund.

These awards, made available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), lay the groundwork for a robust national financing network for clean energy and climate solutions. In particular, this initiative will prioritize the climate financing needs of low-income communities, in line with the administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

Congratulations to the deserving awardees: Climate United Fund, Coalition for Green Capital, Power Forward Communities, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv, Justice Climate Fund, Appalachian Community Capital and Native CDFI Network.

We also celebrate the decades of leadership by the community development financial institution (CDFI) industry and its funders that have helped make this moment possible. Their investments in communities and the broader ecosystem will enable the equitable distribution of capital through the GGRF and other IRA programs.

As a champion of transformative community investing policies and strategies, we look forward to the collective work ahead.