Federal-State Partnerships: Tackling Climate through Infrastructure

Abstract

From January–July 2021, The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions (NI) and the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE) conducted a series of conversations with state leaders and have identified several specific policy priority areas relevant to infrastructure proposals. These policy areas and approaches have been repeatedly highlighted by state leaders contacted by NI and CNEE. This report highlights either emerging areas for states or cross-cutting needs that were consistently cited by states as important. This is not a list of state priorities for programmatic funding—such as how much funding should go to specific public investments—but areas that states seek to prioritize in partnership with the federal government. These areas consisted of: • Climate Resilient Infrastructure Investments • Building a Federal Navigator Service • Just Transitions for Coal Communities • Climate Capitalization • Environmental Justice Community Investment