Who We Are

Project 46: The Southern Indiana Regional Climate Alliance “Project 46” is an innovative regional climate alliance started by the City of Bloomington, Town of Nashville, and City of Columbus with engagement and support from a variety of local and regional organizations. Project 46 unites its members to leverage opportunities to reduce regional costs and increase economic opportunities, while also addressing the pressing challenges posed by increasing extreme weather events.The Alliance is distinguished by its bipartisan, cross-sector approach and aims to pool resources and efforts to achieve better climate outcomes in the region.

The Steering Committee consists of the Mayor of Bloomington, Mayor of Columbus, and the Town Manager of Nashville. Advisory Members include Cummins, Inc., IU Health, and IU Environmental Resilience Institute. Project 46 is supported through the in-kind contributions of members’ staff, with primary coordination by Shawn Miya, Assistant Director of Sustainability from the City of Bloomington and facilitation and specific workstreams supported by Farallon Strategies LLC and ICLEI USA.

How We Are Funded

Project 46 is funded through a blend of public and private resources. Each participating government entity contributes annually based on their population. The funding is supplemented by matching support from private and philanthropic sources, enriching the financial pool available for Project 46’s work across key areas. The Heritage Fund (the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County) is our fiscal sponsor.

Why We Were Created

The rationale behind a regional collaborative, as opposed to individual city efforts, is the enhanced capacity to tackle challenges more effectively and efficiently. A key advantage of such collaboration is the ability to apply for grants together, significantly increasing the likelihood of securing funding. By presenting a united front, our region can demonstrate a larger impact potential to funding bodies, including state and federal programs, making our applications more competitive.

Project 46 Timeline

October 2022

Regional Climate Convening

Mayors of Bloomington and Columbus hosted a Regional Climate Convening, bringing together 100 critical players from Bartholomew, Brown, and Monroe counties to address climate change and explore preparation, adaptation, and mitigation measures in our region.

March 2023 Regional Leaders Announce Launch

Jim Lienhoop (Columbus Mayor), Sandie Jones (Nashville Town Manager), and John Hamilton (Bloomington Mayor) gathered to announce Project 46’s launch and next steps of a bipartisan, cross-sector, multi-county effort to tackle climate change.

April 2023 - Present Resolution Approvals

A resolution approving Project 46 was passed by the cities of Bloomington, Columbus, and Nashville.

View the Interim Governance Memo here!

September 2023 Steering Committee Kickoff Meeting

Steering Committee members and Advisory Committee Members have a kickoff meeting. Meetings are quarterly, addressing Project 46's visibility and influence, and votes on significant projects proposed by subcommittees.

March 2024-2025 Formal Organization Activities

Farrallon Strategies, who specializes in building regional climate collaboratives, was hired to provide guidance to formalize organizational activities and provide deliverable such as: Identifying Priorities, Funding Tracker, Regional Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and more.

Present Day (Ongoing) Funding Opportunities

Federal and state grants are pursued to fund Project 46 initiatives such as green infrastructure projects; renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; electric vehicle adoption and charging infrastructure; and to implement regional climate education and outreach projects.

Our Goals

Emissions Monitoring

Track and report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as communities and as a region.

View our most recent ICLEI report. ***ADD LINK***

Collaboration

Set goals, advance initiatives, highlight successes and challenges, and promote best practices by engaging government, nonprofit, and private sector leadership.

Transparency

Produce an annual community report to demonstrate the activities and impact of these efforts and progress towards shared goals.

Share resources and funding

Coordinate local investments and leverage available funding opportunities.

Project Funding

Historic Bean Blossom Covered Bridge in peak autumn colors—located in Brown County, Indiana

EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG)

In early 2024, Project 46 submitted 11 project proposals to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) for greenhouse gas reduction projects totaling $72M. IDEM selected 7 of these proposals to include in their state-wide proposal to the EPA. Unfortunately, the EPA did not award IDEM funding from the CPRG.

Project 46 is continuing to seek funding for the proposals for the following projects:

Municipal Projects:

  • Municipal Solar Array Program

  • Municipal Fleet Electrification Program

  • Municipal Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program

  • Municipal Weatherization and Decarbonization Program

  • Community Micro-Mobility Hub Program

Grant Programs:

  • Solar Array and Battery Grant Program

  • Fleet Electricfication Grant Program

  • Public Electric Vehicle Charging Station Program

  • Pre-weatherization and Weatherization Grant Program

  • Lawn Care Equipment Electrification Grant Program

  • Commercial and Industrial Equipment Electrification Program

Learn More Here: