CPRC understands the importance of collaboration and collective action when it comes to tackling climate challenges. We work to bring together local governments, businesses, organizations, and community members to create comprehensive approaches that address our most pressing environmental impacts, including rising temperatures, increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and flooding, and ecosystem disruptions identified in the resilience assessments for our urban counties, and rural counties.

As our state and federal partners continue to make significant investments in climate mitigation, a regional approach will help to maximize resources, leverage collective expertise, and implement projects that have a greater impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and building resilience. 

 

Triangle Sustainability Partnership

The Triangle Sustainability Partnership, formed in 2022, aims to enable joint purchasing, outreach, planning, and education on clean energy issues, most recently solar energy. Participating local governments work collaboratively on regional campaigns and projects to promote and increase access to clean energy sources within their communities. 

Participating Communities (All member governments are eligible to join)

  • Chatham County
  • Durham County
  • Orange County
  • City of Durham
  • City of Raleigh
  • Apex
  • Carrboro
  • Cary
  • Chapel Hill
  • Hillsborough
  • Holly Springs
  • Morrisville 

The Partnership's "Solarize the Triangle" campaign took place during Summer 2022 and Summer 2023 in partnership with provider Solar Crowdsource.

SOLARIZE THE TRIANGLE

 
Climate Pollution Reduction Grant

CPRC is the lead agency for a $1M planning grant through the U.S EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG), a two-stage grant program that includes funding for noncompetitive planning grants and competitive implementation grants.

Beginning in Fall 2023, we will work with local governments to conduct extensive community engagement and develop a singular plan for the Raleigh-Cary MSA and Durham-Chapel Hill MSA to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and climate pollution. Projects included in the plan will be eligible for the competitive implementation grants. Additionally, the plan will be developed in coordination with other CPRG plans being created in the state - the State of North Carolina and the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia MSA - and local climate plans already underway. 

Timeline

  • April 28, 2023: Notice of Intent to Participate Submitted by CPRC to EPA, with Letters of Support from Local Governments
  • May 28, 2023: Submission of Completed Application, Including a Work Plan and Budget
    • The application was submitted by CPRC and was received by EPA on 5/26/2023.  
  • Summer 2023: Cooperative Agreement Established with EPA
  • September 2023: Released Request for Proposals for 1) Outreach & Engagement Consultant and 2) Community-Based Organization Outreach
  • October 2023: Convened the CPRG Regional Government Steering Committee
  • December 2023 and January 2024: Convened Community-Based Organizations to provide input
  • January 2024: Four Community Climate Conversations for all stakeholders in different locations around the planning area
  • February 2024: Priority Climate Action Plan due to EPA

More about this effort, climate change, and how people responded to the survey can be found here: Learn More About CPRG

Whether you are a local government, business, community organization, or concerned resident, your involvement is crucial.

Sign up  for alerts on the progress of the project and opportunities for engagement.

 

Environmental Justice

These changes will have a disproportionate impact on low-income and disadvantaged communities in our region, and our strategies must prioritize our most vulnerable populations.

Our Guide to Environmental Justice in the Triangle Region aims to understand the region's environmental justice landscape, identify the most prominent environmental hazards, and provide foundational tools for local governments to partner with community-based organizations. The guide identified 164 potentially underserved communities including more than 370,000 people across all seven counties.

It also identified the following as prominent environmental hazards:

  • Air pollutants (e.g., PFAS, biogas)
  • Water pollutants (e.g., industrial pollutants, untreated wastewater, stormwater discharge)
  • Sites with hazardous substances or residual and/or waste disposal
  • Storage tank active facilities and/or incidences
  • Brownfield program sites
  • Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
  • Household energy inequities (e.g., disproportionate burden of the energy system, like higher energy
    costs, service outages, and less access to energy-efficient housing and clean energy infrastructure)
  • Flooding
  • Extreme heat (i.e., more frequent, longer-lasting heat waves due to climate change)