Engaging Private Capital for Green Infrastructure Implementation in the Great Lakes Region

摘要

With funding from the Great Lakes Protection Fund, American Rivers, Corona Environmental Consulting, and the Water Environment Federation are working with two utilities in the Great Lakes Region: Grand Rapids (MI) Environmental Services Department (ESD) and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), to develop innovative market-based approaches for incentivizing green infrastructure (GI) on private property and/or that leverages private capital or alternative funding sources. Specifically, the project team is working with Grand Rapids ESD to design a stormwater volume credit trading program that would allow developers subject to stormwater retention requirements to meet a portion of their requirements offsite through the purchase of GI-based credits. In Northeast Ohio, we are working with NEORSD to further optimize its' existing Green Infrastructure Grant Program. This paper describes our initial analyses, findings, and recommendations to date. However, this research is ongoing; it will be completed in May of 2019.