Up to a million dollars in federal funding will be coming to the Lehigh Valley to help develop a plan to fight climate change.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection recently announced the grant awards, which are part of the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, along with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, will each receive grants of up to $1 million to help develop climate action plans.

Just ahead of Earth Day, state officials said Pennsylvania will use federal money to tackle climate change.

The Climate Reduction Pollution Grants will help county and municipal officials reach emissions reduction goals set for 2030 and beyond, the Department of Environmental Protection said.

“All climate change is local,” said Rich Negrin, the department’s acting secretary. “It is an all of the above problem and needs an all of the above solution, and it is so important to have strong partners at the federal and local level all committing to fight climate change alongside us.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered remarks Tuesday at the Pittsburgh Aviation and Robotics Summit, where he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to stimulating innovation and economic development in Pennsylvania.

Speaking at The Vision on Fifteenth in the Strip District, Mr. Shapiro pointed to industries such as robotics and artificial intelligence as drivers of growth within the region and commonwealth, and highlighted multiple initiatives to target economic redevelopment his administration has already enacted since his taking office.

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Pittsburgh has become a fast-growing hub for many technology and robotics companies, and leaders across the region and state are hoping that expands even more.

At the opening night of the Aviation & Robotics Summit in Pittsburgh’s Strip District on Tuesday, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro heralded the growth of the industry and said the region should build on that progress.

He cited the success of Astrobotic, a North Side company that is planning to send equipment to the moon as part of the first lunar mission the U.S. has carried out since the Apollo missions of the 1970s.

Pennsylvania this month opted into the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which provides funding to state and local governments to develop climate action plans and makes them eligible for grants from the $4.6 billion pool established by the act and administered by the Environmental Protection Agency.

LVPC Executive Director Becky Bradley said the money will be used to complete work on the Regional Climate Action Plan. Items in the plan include a regional green infrastructure program supporting clean water, flood mitigation, installation of air quality monitoring systems, electric vehicle charging stations, as well as advancing walking and biking.

The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission received $1 million in federal funding to continue its work developing a comprehensive climate action plan for the region, the state announced Friday.

The commission will work with Pennsylvania to update existing climate, energy, or sustainability plans, or to develop new plans, according to details about the grant published on the state’s website.

Construction on Pittsburgh’s Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge project could begin as early as spring 2024, city officials said Monday.

The most recent project update indicates the design phase for the bridge should be completed by the end of this year. Construction is “anticipated to begin” next spring and is expected to take two construction seasons.

The bridge was closed in early February, after inspections showed the need for immediate repairs to the 85-year old steel deck truss bridge. The bridge carries the four-lane Boulevard of the Allies over a pedestrian trail and connects Central Oakland and South Oakland with Schenley Park.

The federal government is giving Pennsylvania a down payment to plan how to best adapt to and mitigate climate change locally.

In Harrisburg on Friday, state and federal officials said Pennsylvania will get about $6 million to create priority climate action plans.

The commonwealth will receive up to a $3 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant through the program set up by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission will each also get a grant of up to $1 million.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Rich Negrin joined Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz, PENNVEST Chairman Dr. Brian Regli, and local government partners to celebrate Earth Month and highlight the partnership between federal, state, and local governments to fight climate change.

Pennsylvania opted into the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program, part of the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The program provides grants to state and local government entities to develop climate action plans and makes them eligible for grants from the $4.6 billion pool established by the IRA and administered by the EPA.