Funding Made Available in Part by the Environmental Bond Act

The New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation today announced that $75 million in grant funding is available to help flood-prone communities advance resiliency and stormwater projects while keeping costs down for local ratepayers. This Earth Day announcement underscores EFC’s continued commitment to protecting New Yorkers from flooding, improving water quality, and providing municipalities with resources to affordably modernize critical systems.

“Earth Day reminds us of what’s at stake: protecting homes, businesses, public safety, and our precious natural resources,” President and CEO Maureen A. Coleman said. “Today’s announcement builds on Governor Hochul’s continued leadership in advancing water infrastructure investments that are both environmentally sustainable and fiscally responsible.”

The grants opening today include: 

• $60 million in Green Resiliency Grants for large-scale stormwater management projects. Over $121 million has been awarded to date to projects statewide, including five resiliency projects in New York City.
• $15 million through the Green Innovation Grant Program for projects that manage stormwater, conserve water, and improve wastewater system efficiency. Over $263 million has been awarded through this program since 2009. 

Green infrastructure reduces strain on sewer systems by capturing and treating stormwater before it reaches pipes, treatment plants, and water bodies. Projects may include shoreline naturalization, green roofs, and permeable surfaces. These investments reduce flooding, improve water quality, lower urban heat effects, and support community revitalization.

EFC provides no-cost Community Assistance to help municipalities access funding. Municipalities and eligible entities can request a meeting, apply for funding, sign up for webinars, and access resources at www.efc.ny.gov.

The funding is made available in part by the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022. Local governments and partners can access this historic funding to protect water quality, mitigate the impacts of increasingly severe weather, and create green jobs.

New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe said, “As we celebrate Earth Day, the Environmental Facilities Corporation’s latest round of grants underscores what climate resilience really means: protecting New Yorkers in their homes and communities. These investments will help reduce flooding, improve water quality, and support healthier neighborhoods, all while keeping costs down for local ratepayers. We commend Governor Hochul and the EFC for continuing to make the kinds of investments that strengthen our infrastructure and help communities better prepare for the impacts of climate change.”

The Nature Conservancy in New York Executive Director Bill Ulfelder said, “The Nature Conservancy applauds the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation for providing funding to reduce water pollution, prevent flooding, and lower costs for ratepayers. These important grants, supported in part by the 2022 Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, safeguard clean water, improve public health and safety, reduce infrastructure costs, and prevent pollution from reaching our bays, harbors, lakes, and rivers.”

New York State Association of Counties Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario said, “Earth Day is a reminder that the work of protecting our environment happens every day in our communities, where counties deliver services and maintain the infrastructure people rely on. We commend Governor Hochul and her administration for their commitment to building on last year’s historic investments in water infrastructure. This support is helping counties move forward with projects that improve resiliency, manage stormwater, and strengthen the systems that keep our communities safe and sustainable.”

Nation-Leading Investments in Water Infrastructure

New York State continues to increase its historic investments in water infrastructure. Governor Hochul set the national standard with a transformational $3.75 billion water infrastructure investment plan, which would bring total clean water investments to $10 billion since 2017.

EFC is currently accepting applications for an additional $5.5 million in grants through Wastewater Infrastructure Engineering Planning Grants and SECURE cybersecurity grant program. Municipalities and eligible entities can find more information and apply on EFC’s website. The Community Assistance Teams are available to provide no-cost, one-on-one consultations to help municipalities understand funding options and prepare strong applications.

New Yorkers can track projects benefiting from EFC’s investments using the interactive project impact dashboard.