HAPPENINGS

The Department of Interior Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) convened the Territorial Climate and Infrastructure Workshop (TCIW) that provided resources and technical assistance to Territorial governments to ease the burdens imposed by the influx of incoming funding opportunities, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The BIL and IRA are two major pieces of legislation passed during the Biden Administration to develop infrastructure projects and community-enhancing investments across the United States, including in the U.S. Territories.

The workshop provides participants with a crash course in identifying and interpreting the opportunities provided by the BIL, addressing challenges and capacity problems, and developing relationships to make future collaboration more effective. Topics covered included Broadband, Built Infrastructure, Energy, Water, Invasive Species, Nature-Based Solutions, and Legacy Pollution.

Now in its fourth year, the TCIWʻs diversity and large number of participants are testaments to the event’s great success. Over 100 representatives from American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands partook in the workshop. Also in attendance were federal counterparts from 17 agencies and subject matter experts who provided hands-on technical assistance to territorial representatives, allowing for greater access to existing and upcoming funding opportunities and input on integrating BIL and IRA funds into their priority projects. The in-person format allowed for meaningful knowledge sharing.

Together, the group drew parallels from across the region and developed solutions that will guide the development of future projects.

The success of the workshop in bringing BIL funding to the territories in a responsible and timely manner was recently recognized with a “Team Award” by the Hawai’i Pacific Federal Executive Board for the TCIW efforts.