Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Climate Resilience topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DEEP describes resilience fund, microgrids and plans tied to FEMA BRIC; Bridgeport project seeking federal match
Summary
DEEP said it will expand climate resilience funding for planning, project advancement and deployment, including a program to split local match for FEMA BRIC applications. Officials described microgrids, resilience planning and a provisional federal award for the Resilient Bridgeport coastal flood defense project.
DEEP officials told the subcommittee that the agency is expanding the Deep Climate Resilience Fund to support municipal planning, project design and deployment of resilience measures such as microgrids, flood control and backup power for critical infrastructure.
Graham Stevens, DEEP chief of water protection and land reuse, said the resilience fund supports planning grants, project advancement and deployment and can help communities meet the nonfederal cost share required by FEMA BRIC. "We're offering planning grants to municipalities if you're just starting from scratch to help you get consulting help," Stevens said, and added the agency will partner to split FEMA BRIC match requirements in order to help move projects into the federal pipeline.
The agency noted recent extreme-weather events as context for the program: officials referenced the Naugatuck Valley flooding last summer, which DEEP said cost at least $200,000,000 in state recovery and affected about 2,300 homes, and a near two-month wildfire season.
Resilient Bridgeport: DEEP confirmed the legislature set aside $42,000,000 of bonding to support a coastal flood defense project in Bridgeport. The agency said it has provisionally been awarded FEMA BRIC funds for the Resilient Bridgeport project, but that the federal award process requires additional information and is not assured. "There are many requests for information that we're going through with FEMA now," an agency official said.
Why it matters: the resilience fund is designed to help small and midsize municipalities that lack planning capacity, to develop ready-to-fund projects and to increase competitiveness for federal resilience grants.
Ending: DEEP said it will continue to coordinate with municipalities, the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and federal partners as proposals advance.
