Inflation Reduction Act could help Central Florida coastal communities prepare for storms

President Biden signed measure into law on Tuesday

Courtesy NOAA

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Biden on Tuesday contains several climate provisions that could help some Central Florida coastal communities.

The $750 billion package was passed by both houses in Washington, and those who voted in favor of it touted its promise to create new jobs.

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Part of the plan addressed what some call the biggest commitment to battling climate change.

Building resilience

According to the bill, $2.6 billion will be earmarked to help coastal communities better prepare for what weather forecasters call more extreme storms.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will be allocated that money to track the changing climate conditions and how they are impacting natural resources.

The legislation calls for $150 million to replace piers, marine operational facilities, fisheries and laboratories.

The same amount of money will also be used to forecast the effects of climate change on marine life and determine ways to mitigate harm.

The bill also calls for $100 million to be used to acquire additional hurricane forecasting aircraft.

Cleaner air

The legislation will also provide $245 million in grants to businesses blending sustainable jet fuel.

News 6 followed one Florida company in June as they collected used cooking oil from several restaurants near the attractions area.

Alex Rivero, a technician for Mahoney Environmental, gets ready to remove used cooking oil from an Orlando area restaurant to be turned into sustainable aviation fuel. (Copyright 2022 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

Crews then turned that oil into a fuel that is used by passenger planes at large airports, like Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport.

More than $2 billion will be set aside to help reduce air pollution at the nation’s ports, while $37.5 million would be used to monitor air quality near schools in some of the nation’s low-income neighborhoods.

Your home

The proposed legislation sets aside $4.3 billion in rebates for homeowners to help pay for big upgrades to their homes, such as installing solar panels.

The money could also be used for smaller purchases, such as buying energy efficient appliances, insulation, ventilation and sealing.

The bill also calls for $200 million to train contractors to do the work.

Three billion dollars will be set aside to help create manufacturing facilities for zero-emission vehicles, such as electric vehicles.

Details of rolling out these plans was still in the works after the president signed the bill.

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About the Author:

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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