Thread by @WillToor

It's tweetsorm time! @GovofCO released proposed budget for FY22-23 today - and it contains transformational investments to improve air quality and #ActOnClimate. $424 million to decrease pollution in transportation, industry, buildings, + $125 in related housing $. (1/n)

Transportation is our biggest source of pollution, so that's where the biggest investment goes: $255 million. Supports electric school buses, bikes, cleaner trucks, expanded transit service, and free bus/train fares during ozone season. (2/n)

$ 150 million for electric school buses to help school districts switch from dirty diesels. For many kids, being on and around the school bus is some of their highest exposure to pollution. Goal is to move towards every school bus replacement being electric. (3/n)

$12 million for #ebikes ! This will go to rebates for Ebikes and to expanding our Ebike pilots from this year. This will help get 12,000 more Ebikes on the roads and paths. cpr.org/2021/02/10/how… (4/n)

$15 million to get 500 of the dirtiest trucks off the road. While our main focus is zero emissions, in the near term there are big benefits getting old dirty trucks replaced with ones that meet current EPA standards. (5/n)

$28 million to work with transit agencies to make transit free during the high ozone pollution season (summer/early fall) in the Denver/North Metro non attainment area. This will reduce car trips, rebuild transit ridership, and increase equity. (6/n) cpr.org/2021/11/01/cco…

$40 million for @ColoradoDOT to build on the Main Streets program that transforms streets to be safer,friendlier to pedestrians, cyclists,transit riders, with a focus on more transit service on urban arterials. (7/n) codot.gov/news/2021/sept…

A big focus is expanding housing opportunity/affordable housing - doing this in a way that helps meet our climate and air quality goals, and reducing energy and transportation costs for residents. We talked about this at Sept housing Taskforce. (8/n) leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/…

This includes $128 million for a Strong Communities program that will both support infrastructure for infill housing development AND incentivize local governments to reform zoning and planning rules that make it hard to add housing within communities and near jobs. (9/n)

The grants will be flexible in meeting infrastructure needs- but the grant criteria will favor those communities that do the best job at facilitating more housing - allowing ADUs, relaxing occupancy restrictions, reducing parking minimums, allowing duplexes+triplexes, etc. (10/n)

$25 million to support better energy performance in affordable housing- grants for energy efficiency, high efficiency electric heat pumps, and rooftop or community solar. Lets slash pollution and energy bills, like they did here: (11/n) habitatroaringfork.org/pages/basalt-v…

$25 million for building equity investments focused on helping local governments incorporate electrification in public buildings and neighborhood scale electrification pilots. (12/n)

$200,000 to support stakeholder engagement and technical work on developing proposed rules for minimum energy codes that align with our pollution reduction goals. (13/n)

Another focus is reducing emissions from industry, both by enhancing permitting, enforcement and monitoring, and by supporting market transformation. (14/n)

$52 million to @CDPHE to dramatically scale up staff capacity for rule development, permitting, monitoring and enforcement. Also includes funding for incentives to replace 2 stroke lawn/garden equipment with electric. (15/n)

$7 million to CDPHE for enhanced aerial and ground based monitoring of oil and gas operations. HB 1266 + AQCC rulemaking working on 60% reduction in pollution - monitoring will give more ability to track leaks and pollution (16/n)

$50 million for clean air grants to industry to support faster and deeper reductions. Grants for energy efficiency, renewables, electrification, hydrogen, methane capture, sustainable aviation fuel.(17/n)

$5 million additional funding to the Office of JustTransition to support coal communities as we transition to renewables. (18/n)

Whew! Big transformational investments in multiple sectors to achieve GHG and air pollution reduction, support equity, and build our economy. We look forward to working with stakeholders as this moves to legislative consideration! (19/19)