Ithaca Green New Deal loses most federal funding; leaders weigh repackaging and new grants

Ithaca Green New Deal Commission staff told members on Feb. 12 that two federal awards administered through the Department of Energy are currently frozen, removing about $2.5 million from the program budget and leaving only a small amount of discretionary funds available.

The loss affects programs that staff said were the bulk of the commission's externally funded work: an 18-month workforce development, certification and job-placement initiative tied to the Ithaca City School District (about $3 million planned at program scale), an energy-audit and engagement stream for district facilities, and community engagement earmarks tied to a hydrogen demonstration project. Commission members were told the frozen awards amount to roughly 85% of the Green New Deal's external funding; staff said only about $50,000 remains uncommitted and that most of that amount is pending contract amendment paperwork.

Commissioners said the workforce training stream is the most vulnerable to the funding pause because it relied on that award for staff lines…