Louisiana Community Awaits Climate Grant as Trump Threatens Rollback

SULPHUR, La. — Cynthia Robertson, a 66-year-old community leader in Sulphur, Louisiana, is caught in a political storm as she awaits a decision on a $19 million grant application to repair hurricane-damaged homes in her neighborhood. The funding, part of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), is now at risk as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to overturn the law, calling it a “new green scam.”

Robertson’s nonprofit, Micah 6:8 Mission, seeks to retrofit homes in Portie Town, a low-income area battered by hurricanes and climate change. The grant would fund roof repairs, mold remediation, solar-powered air conditioning, and a community center for emergencies. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) delayed its decision, leaving the fate of the grant to the incoming Trump administration.

“This community needs this so badly,” Robertson said, fighting back tears. “Damn it.”

Portie Town, a historically disadvantaged neighborhood, has a median income of $40,000 and a life expectancy of 69 years, nine years below the national average. Climate change has exacerbated its struggles, with hurricanes like Laura and Delta causing widespread destruction. Many residents, like Jessica McGee, still live with unrepaired damage from storms years ago. “The next one, our roof is going to be gone,” McGee said.

The IRA, passed in 2022, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and has already spurred clean energy projects across the country. Despite its benefits, the law has become a political lightning rod. Republicans, including Trump, have criticized it as wasteful and vowed to repeal it. Clay Higgins, the Republican congressman representing Sulphur, called the IRA a “green boondoggle” and voted against it.

Yet, the law has disproportionately benefited red states and districts. Texas, for example, has received $69 billion in clean energy investments, second only to California. Nebraska’s Republican governor, Jim Pillen, praised a $307 million IRA grant as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Robertson remains hopeful that Republicans will see the value in the grant. “Dear Lord,” she prayed during a staff meeting, “if it’s your will, may we get this damn grant, please.”

As the Trump administration prepares to take office, the future of the IRA and its funding for communities like Sulphur hangs in the balance. For now, Robertson and her neighbors can only wait and hope.