White House to invest $5M to manage extreme heat across US

The White House announced Tuesday it will invest $5 million to manage and improve resilience to extreme heat experienced across the United States this summer.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will establish two virtual research centers that will be funded through a $5 million investment from the Inflation Reduction Act that Biden signed into law last August. 

The centers aim to help “provide technical assistance and actionable, locally-tailored information that historically marginalized and underserved communities can use to better prepare for extreme heat,” according to a White House fact sheet.

Additionally, a White House working group on extreme heat is set to develop a national heat strategy, which officials say will be centered on equity and environmental justice. The White House on Tuesday is hosting a summit on climate resilience and sustainability in affordable housing. 

The summit will focus on how property owners, developers, and asset managers can leverage investments from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, as well as the Inflation Reduction Act, to reduce the risks posed by extreme heat and other climate impacts to low-income Americans.

Many parts of the country saw extreme weather conditions last month. Puerto Rico experienced its hottest month in more than 120 years and Texas recorded its 19 hottest days on record. 

The White House called the situation with extreme heat “alarming” in a statement and also noted that Michigan, New York and Vermont broke their daily temperature records in June.

It also bashed Republican lawmakers over climate change and efforts to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Many Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change and remain committed to repealing the President’s Inflation Reduction Act — the biggest climate protection bill ever — which would undermine the health and safety of their own constituents,” the White House said in a statement.