Last October, we hosted the inaugural Rural Renaissance Roadshow in beautiful Bentonville, Arkansas. Some asked us, “Why Bentonville?” In this clip from last year’s Roadshow, Groundswell’s CEO, Michelle Moore, explains that Arkansas has deep roots in leading clean energy innovation; notably, Arkansas developed one of the first low-income-focused energy efficiency programs in the United States.

This Friday, August 30th, at noon EST / 11 am CST, we will continue celebrating Arkansas’ leadership during our Rural Resilience Webinar. Join us as we discuss the nearly $100 Million (anticipated) Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) award announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Central Arkansas, the City of Fort Smith, and the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission.

This award will reduce carbon emissions through several methods, including energy efficiency projects, but also by supporting the transition of public fleets to electric vehicles (learn more about EV fleet conversion in our April webinar recording) and the expansion of charging infrastructure. It will also increase opportunities for people to opt out of driving and instead bike or walk on the trails this grant will help build! This award announcement is exciting news for the whole community, as increasing accessibility to biking and walking trails is associated with improved community health, boosted local economies, and, overall, contributes to building happier, healthier, and more resilient communities.

To hear how Arkansas’ CPRG winners plan to implement these projects — and to learn how to bring similar projects to your community — tune in this Friday!

For an even deeper dive into funding opportunities for building resilient communities, join us at this year’s Rural Renaissance Roadshow from November 11-14 in Macon, Georgia. We’ll release the 2024 Roadshow program soon, so stay tuned to hear about practical funding support workshops and opportunities to learn how to use Direct Pay, Greenbanks, and more!