DNREC offering grants for going green

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has launched a new grant program aimed at helping businesses, state and municipal agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia and/or non-profit assistance providers identify and implement plans to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in their organizations and communities.

DNREC is now accepting applications for $1.4 million available in the first round of funding under the Delaware Greenhouse Gas Reduction Projects Grant Program. The program is funded by a portion of the proceeds from the auction of carbon dioxide allowances through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative’s (RGGI) cap-and-trade program that is working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 15. DNREC expects applicants to demonstrate that proposed projects will result in measurable reductions of greenhouse gases.

Eligible projects may include those that help grantees calculate and reduce their carbon footprints, as well as land-use and transportation planning efforts that reduce the need to drive. Vehicle exhaust contributes a significant portion of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, officials noted.

DNREC will also consider projects that spur development of green infrastructure; programs that foster resource conservation, such as better management of trees; efforts to strengthen local economies through marketing of locally grown food; and outreach programs that promote public involvement in sustainability efforts.

For information on the grant program, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/ClimateChange/Pages/GreenhouseGasReductionProject.... For a downloadable copy of the Request for Proposals, go to www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Admin/Pages/RFPsAndRFQs.aspx.