Purdue Extension to help communities access energy, environmental funding
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Purdue Extension is taking part in a multistate effort to help rural, tribal and underserved communities access federal funding for energy and environmental improvement efforts.
The $10 million project is being led by the University of Minnesota, and Purdue Extension’s Community Development program will provide technical assistance and education for communities throughout Indiana that apply for funding.
“These are communities that often because of their disadvantage, and lack of support, haven’t had access to a lot of the different entities that are partnering to do this important collaborative work,” said Michael Wilcox, program leader for Purdue Extension Community Development.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, Wilcox said the five-year initiative provides a great opportunity for communities to address longstanding issues.
“What I think we’re going to wind up seeing here in Indiana are things like remediating brownfields and other environmental issues that disadvantaged communities have been facing for a long time, but haven’t had the wherewithal to try to remedy those situations,” Wilcox said. “They’ve either sort of learned to live with them, or they’ve basically cordoned off some of those areas, and they’ve become uninhabitable. And they can’t use those areas for any kind of economic advantage to bring their communities up.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the University of Minnesota in April as one of 17 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers.
The university is covering Region 5, which serves Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Tribes. Wilcox said the university is also partnering with organizations similar to Purdue Extension in the other states except Wisconsin.
Purdue said the extension will help communities navigate federal grant application systems, identify partners and matching funds, and assist with project design and development.
“Purdue Extension is positioned well to connect with rural and underserved communities across Indiana with staff in all 92 counties,” Kara Salazar, assistant program leader for Purdue Extension Community Development, said in written remarks. “We look forward to working with regional partners as a liaison for communities in need of resources to assist with clean energy and water, affordable and sustainable housing, and addressing legacy pollution.”
Indiana has additional partners in the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, of which Wilcox is also associate director, as well as the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the Purdue Center for Regional Development.
Purdue Extension is beginning support and outreach this month. But Wilcox said the effort is about more than just providing access to funding and resources.
“When we leave these communities in five years, they’ll have the capacity to continue to apply for funding and continue to strategically plan for their communities and find the different capitals that they need, ” he said, “so their communities are more close knit, so they can come to decisions about what they’d like to do in their future.”
Wilcox said making sure communities have access to broadband will also be key as they utilize digital tools to access the funding they’re seeking.
The funding for the program was distributed this week, and Wilcox said they’re ready to hit the ground running. When communities are awarded grant funding, Purdue Extension will continue to assist.
“We’ll be working with them as they go through the implementation and measurement and evaluation phase. That’s going to come in time. And so what exactly that looks like remains to be seen, because it’s going to be based on the collaborations that we’re able to build.”
The 17 Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers will be receiving a total of $177 million from the Biden administration for the program.