Cities are advancing innovative and ambitious clean energy and decarbonization projects. Implementing these projects may require funding and financing on top of your city’s standard budget cycle to turn local plans and proposals into reality.

This is a detailed guide for cities pursuing federal funding (i.e., money that does not need to be repaid) and financing (i.e., money that must be repaid, often with interest). This guidance includes primers on the different types of funding, tools, and other resources to help you understand how to effectively navigate the universe of federal funding. It also unpacks the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to help you take advantage of newer sources of funding and other important incentives for local governments.

You and your team should use this guidance in tandem with the Federal Funding Opportunities for Local Decarbonization (FFOLD) tool to identify, prioritize, and pursue the opportunities that best align with your project.

As you search for specific programs in FFOLD, you can use this Funding Guidance to understand the basics of funding and related strategies to support innovative and equitable decarbonization projects. Click the “Next” button below to start exploring.