Biden to announce steps to boost climate resilience during California trip

President Biden on Monday will announce millions of dollars in funding toward climate resilience efforts during a visit to a Northern California nature preserve, where he will highlight efforts to combat climate change.

Biden will visit the Lucy Evans Baylands Nature Interpretive Center and Preserve in Palo Alto, a White House official said, and he will announce more than $600 million for climate adaptation projects “to better protect our nation’s power grid from extreme weather events and prepare coastal and Great Lakes communities for climate change impacts like sea level rise, tidal flooding, and storm surge.”

Biden will be joined by state and local leaders, as well as environmental activists, the official said.

During the visit, Biden is expected to preview plans for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to launch a $575 million Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to help coastal and Great Lakes communities improve their ability to weather more intense storms and other effects of climate change.

The funding will go toward building natural infrastructure, planning for potential community-led relocation and protecting public access to natural resources, the White House said. The money comes from roughly $2.6 billion allocated to the NOAA through the Inflation Reduction Act, which conservatives in the House have targeted for repeal.

Biden is also expected to announce he will host a White House summit later this year on building climate-resilient communities. The White House will release a National Climate Resilience Framework as part of the summit.