97T17701

Description: The agreement provides funding under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the City of Bakersfield, CA.

Specifically, the project will address climate action and pollution reduction strategies through several projects in Southeast Bakersfield: complete streets improvements to active transportation corridors, safe routes to school, low-income residential energy efficiency project, community center microgrid, electric bus route, workforce development, community outreach and engagement.

This assistance agreement provides full federal funding in the amount of $20,040,630.

Preaward costs are approved back to 12/01/2024.

See terms and conditions.

Activities: The activities include completing streets improvements along key transportation corridors within Southeast Bakersfield, by installing new sidewalks, new/enhanced Class II bike lanes, and a new Class III bike route.

The safe routes to school project will construct and improve pedestrian facilities at three school sites to improve safety conditions for children who walk or bike to school.

The low-income residential energy efficiency project will fund energy retrofits for owner occupied single family residential units that will reduce the cost and consumption of electricity.

Clean energy sector workforce development will provide residents in the project area.

Friendship House Community Center microgrid project will create an electrical grid-connected microgrid (a standalone electrical system) with solar generation and stored battery energy confined to the Friendship House Community Center that can operate independently of the electrical utility grid.

Southeast mobility project will provide connections to downtown Bakersfield and the future Bakersfield HSR station three new zero emission hydrogen-powered buses and two years of operating expenses associated with providing a new fixed bus service route that will run through Southeast Bakersfield.

Subrecipient: Community Action Partnership of Kern (CAPK) Friendship House Community Center will add full energy generation by solar panel and storage output for emergency use during power outage as part of the microgrid project.

Building Healthy Communities Kern (BHC-Kern) will implement sustained community outreach and engagement throughout the Southeast Strong Initiative.

Grid Alternatives will implement the low-income residential energy efficiency project to provide residential energy efficiency projects for low-income residents in Southeast Bakersfield.

Community College District (KCCD) will implement the clean energy sector workforce development training program.

Community Interventions will implement sustained community outreach and engagement throughout the Southeast Strong Initiative.

Golden Empire Transit District (GET) will purchase and deploy the Southeast mobility project fuel cell electric buses on a new bus route serving the disadvantaged unincorporated community.

California State University at Sacramento will implement the program evaluation activities for the Southeast Strong Initiative with leveraged funds Transformative Climate Communities (TCC).

Outcomes: The anticipated deliverables include installing new sidewalks and crosswalks, new/enhanced Class II bike lanes, and a new Class III bike route; retrofitting 30 owner-occupied single family homes with solar/PV systems; providing workforce development training for residents in the project area to become solar installers, EV charging stations maintenance technicians, and enrolling in electrician apprenticeships; creating a microgrid with the mounting of solar generation system to the roof of a community center building with a battery storage system for backup power in case of a power failure; and putting into operation a new fixed bus service route with hydrogen-powered buses that will run through Southeast Bakersfield and provide connections to downtown Bakersfield and the future Bakersfield high-speed rail station.

The expected outcomes include: reduced

City Of Bakersfield

2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.1 - CLEAN UP AND RESTORE LAND FOR PRODUCTIVE USES AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS 4 - ENSURE CLEAN AND HEALTHY AIR FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 4.1 - IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND REDUCE LOCALIZED POLLUTION AND HEALTH IMPACTS 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 5.2 - PROTECT AND RESTORE WATERBODIES AND WATERSHEDS 6 - SAFEGUARD AND REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES 6.2 - REDUCE WASTE AND PREVENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.2 - EMBED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS INTO EPA’S PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND ACTIVITIES 5 - ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL COMMUNITIES 5.1 - ENSURE SAFE DRINKING WATER AND RELIABLE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE 2 - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION TO ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS 2.1 - PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL RIGHTS AT THE FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY AND SCIENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING S - CROSS AGENCY STRATEGY S.1 - ENSURE SCIENTIFIC INT

66.616 - Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grant Program

EPA Region 9: San Francisco [EPA - RO]

Bakersfield, California United States

City-Wide

Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program (EPA-R-OEJECR-OCS-23-04)

Termination This project grant was reported as terminated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in July 2025. See All
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been shortened from 11/30/27 to 05/01/25.