Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank Names Three Municipalities To Join The Municipal Resilience Program

PROVIDENCE, R.I – Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank announced that three municipalities – the City of Cranston, the Town of Johnston, and the Town of West Warwick – have been selected to participate in the Bank’s Municipal Resilience Program (MRP). Cranston and Johnston join West Warwick, who was accepted earlier this year, as the three newest participants to be welcomed into the MRP through the Bank’s new rolling MRP participation application process. Communities participating in the MRP complete a workshop process designed to identify priority projects and strategies to improve the municipality’s resilience to natural and climate-related hazards. Communities completing the MRP process are then eligible for action grants to implement resilient infrastructure solutions.

“As we have seen with recent extreme rainfall and flooding events, Rhode Island’s infrastructure needs to be made more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” said Jeffrey R. Diehl, CEO of Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank. “That is what the Bank’s Municipal Resilience Program is all about, helping our municipal partners identify key resilience challenges, plan solutions, and qualify for grant funding to implement resilient infrastructure solutions. We look forward to working with Cranston, Johnston, and West Warwick as they participate in the Municipal Resilience Program process.”

35 out 39 Rhode Island municipalities have signed up for the MRP. With help from the Nature Conservancy, 33 have completed Community Resilience Building workshops and developed prioritized lists of actionable resilience plans and projects. Municipalities are then eligible to submit applications for MRP Action Grants with a 25% local match requirement. To date, the Bank has awarded more than $7 million in MRP Action Grants to 16 municipalities across the state. In 2022, Rhode Island voters approved the Question 3 Green Bond, including $16 million for MRP Action Grants.

“Rhode Island’s cities and towns are already feeling the impacts of 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 with the Infrastructure Bank to bring these resilience planning workshops to Cranston, Johnston, and West Warwick.”

About the 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. www.riib.org – Facebook: @RIinfrastructure – Twitter: @RI_InfraBank