Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank Names 5 Municipalities to Join the Municipal Resilience Program

Cities and towns will complete workshops and advance projects to address the impacts of climate change.

PROVIDENCE, R.I – Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank today announced 5 new municipalities – Coventry, East Greenwich, Hopkinton, North Providence, and West Greenwich – to participate in the Municipal Resilience Program (MRP). Communities will identify and prioritize local actions through the program and will become eligible for grant funds to implement projects that will increase their climate resilience.

“Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is committed to accelerating investments in municipal resilience projects that will better prepare our cities and towns for a changing climate” said Jeffrey R. Diehl, CEO of Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. “The Bank’s Municipal Resilience Program supports cities and towns in identifying and funding priority resilience projects, with a focus on projects delivering co-benefits, such as nature-based solutions and benefitting disadvantaged communities. We look forward to building on the success of the first four years of the program and strengthening relationships with our municipal partners statewide to proactively address the effects of climate change.” 

With support from The Nature Conservancy, 27 municipalities have completed Community Resilience Building workshops and developed prioritized lists of actionable resilience plans and projects to date. These municipalities are eligible to submit applications for MRP Action Grants with a 25% local match requirement. The Request for Proposals for these MRP Action Grants, which includes funds approved through the 2022 State Green Bond, will be released in early 2023.

After a review process, the selection committee recommended Coventry, East Greenwich, Hopkinton, North Providence, and West Greenwich to receive acceptance into the MRP. Including these newly selected communities, 32 municipalities will have participated in the MRP planning process.

“Municipalities across the state are already feeling the impacts from climate change – from increased damage from storms to rising sea levels,” said Sue AnderBois, The Nature Conservancy’s Climate and Energy Program Manager. “The Nature Conservancy is proud to partner on the Municipal Resilience Program with RI Infrastructure Bank and these next five municipalities – and we look forward to getting to partner with the remaining cities and towns of Rhode Island by the end of 2023. And, with the passage of the Green Bond on the November ballot, the program now has an additional $16 million to help municipalities fund the priorities identified through the MRP.”

All Rhode Island cities and towns are eligible to apply for the Municipal Resilience Program. More information on the program can be found here.

About Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank

Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank is Rhode Island’s central hub for financing infrastructure improvements for municipalities, businesses, and homeowners. We leverage capital in a revolving fund to offer innovative financing for an array of infrastructure-based projects including water and wastewater, road and bridge, energy efficiency and renewable energy, and brownfield remediation. These quality of life projects improve the State’s infrastructure, create jobs, promote economic development and enhance the environment. For more information, please visit http://www.riib.org.

About The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions such as Community Resilience Building to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more sustainable. Working in 72 countries, we use a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit http://www.nature.org or follow @nature_press on Twitter.