Revised 11/12/2024
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has been selected to receive a $307 million Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Nebraska’s ONE RED program. This is the largest federal grant ever awarded to the Department.
NDEE will use the grant funds over a five-year period to implement voluntary programs with financial incentives to strengthen all sectors of Nebraska’s economy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The funded programs will include energy efficiency measures to reduce energy costs, incentives for sustainable agriculture practices, solar energy projects, and advanced livestock waste management. A significant portion of the projects are designed to benefit low-income and underserved communities, which include both rural and urban areas of the state. Details of the anticipated programs are shown in the table below.
The success of Nebraska’s application was made possible by the extensive public input from a broad range of partners and stakeholders across the state, including state and local government departments, public power districts, agricultural stakeholders, subject matter experts, and Nebraska citizens. This input was vital to the development of Nebraska’s Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP), which formed the basis for NDEE’s implementation grant application.
NDEE received the official award in October 2024. NDEE is working to set up the funding programs authorized by the grant award. Please return to this page often for updates on the progress of these programs.
Program | Funding | Metric Tons GHG Reduction |
By 2030 | By 2050 |
Non-Residential Energy Efficiency Program: Projects for industrial, commercial, agricultural, public, and nonprofit buildings and facilities. | $30,302,420 | 536,393 | 2,933,544 |
Residential Pre-Weatherization Program: Funding to address critical home repairs for low-income residents to allow eligibility for the Weatherization Assistance Program. | $4,078,027 | 13,130 | 72,405 |
ONE RED Irrigation Engine Program: Rebates to farmers to replace diesel irrigation pump engines with electric motors or pumps connected to the electric grid. | $6,140,507 | 14,291 | 124,901 |
Rural Community Solar Program: Solar arrays to provide partial power to water and waste-water facilities, reducing energy cost. | $16,406,847 | 9,183 | 25,148 |
Non-Residential Solar Program: Funds for solar projects in locations such as rooftops for industrial, commercial, or municipal facilities; community solar in brownfield locations; solar canopies over parking lots and cattle feedlots; and other locations that do not displace other productive uses. | $28,081,847 | 12,180 | 29,481 |
Ag Registry and Grants Program:
Three interdependent strategies: 1) Develop a Carbon Intensity (CI) Score Registry with incentives for participation; 2) Incentives for adoption of Regenerative Agriculture Practices to improve soil health and reduce N fertilizer use; 3) Incentives for Precision Agriculture equipment for more efficient production.
| $160,434,689 | 25,128,828 | 155,051,209 |
Anaerobic Digester/Biogas Hub Program: Establish a regional biogas cleaning facility near an existing natural gas pipeline, with biogas supplied by digesters at nearby animal feeding operations to benefit multiple producers. | $57,182,628 | 261,907 | 2,007,957 |
Biochar Incentive Program: Funding for biochar processing facilities that will convert woody organic waste into biochar, which can store carbon in the soil. | $4,373,035 | 12,050 | 65,608 |
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The listed measures were selected for funding from the larger set of measures developed for Nebraska’s PCAP. The selected measures will provide broad benefits to Nebraska geographically and across different economic sectors. Some PCAP measures were not included in this implementation grant because other pending federal funding sources are expected to be available for them in the near future.
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| Ag Registry and Grants Program
(coming soon) | Anaerobic Digester/Biogas Hub Program
(coming soon) | |
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