Zooming in
Established through the Inflation Reduction Act, the CPRG aims to reduce climate pollution, create jobs, improve air quality and lower energy costs, H-GAC Air Quality Program Manager Andrew DeCandis said.
The program submitted a priority climate action plan last March, with the goals of cutting emissions, improving health and collaborating across the region. Now, the program is collecting feedback to see where the public’s priorities lie.
The program will roll out in two phases:
- Phase I: $250 million in planning grants
- Phase II: $4.6 billion in competitive implementation funding
In 2021, the 13 counties making up the Greater Houston area combined for 230.56 million metric tons of net carbon emissions, said Deborah Nabaloga, senior research assistant for clean energy policy at the Houston Advanced Research Center.
Harris County leads the way with 131.83 million metric tons of emissions, followed by Brazoria County with 28.53 million and Fort Bend County with 21.12 million.
Most greenhouse gas emissions come from stationary fuel combustion, making up 66.4% of emissions in Houston and 67.9% in Fort Bend County.
However, Fort Bend County sits much higher than other counties when it comes to solid waste, making up 7.3% of their emissions compared to the average of 2.4%.
What they’re saying
With so many diverse regions across Houston, creating a plan will be difficult, H-GAC Air Quality Principal Planner Pharr Andrews said. However, Andrews said she expects transportation to be the most popular issue for people based on previous studies in Austin and Dallas.
“It’s rural, it’s urban, it’s coastal, so there’s so many landscapes that we need to incorporate strategies for,” Andrews said.
Meanwhile, resident Donna Thomas said air pollution is her top priority, with the goal to see the county implement emergency air quality alerts.
“[Pollution is] affecting everybody’s communities with health,” Thomas said. “We’ve got some big emissions down here. They’ve been hiding behind Houston all along, saying that Houston’s causing this.”
Going forward
Residents have the chance to participate in eight public meetings to share their feedback on key sectors, including industry, agriculture, transportation, waste and energy, according to H-GAC’s website. Residents can also fill out an online survey to give input on the CPRG.
A comprehensive climate action plan is due by the end of 2025, with a status report due in 2027.
