The governors of Colorado and Wyoming have announced $3 million in funding for climate resilience projects as part of a collaborative initiative called the Colorado-Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine (CO-WY Engine, Globe Newswire reports.
This funding, provided by the US National Science Foundation (NSF), aims to support innovative solutions addressing the region’s climate challenges, including droughts, wildfires, water security, and methane emissions.
Over the past two months, the CO-WY Engine has reviewed numerous proposals from interdisciplinary teams at universities and startup companies. The selected projects will focus on developing technologies to strengthen climate resilience, with support for both research and early-stage commercialization efforts.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis emphasized the importance of these projects in addressing climate change impacts on water security, wildfire risks, and air quality, while Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon highlighted the need to address specific challenges facing Wyoming, such as droughts and wildfires.
The funded projects span several key areas:
- Soil Carbon Capture: Led by Colorado State University, this project aims to improve wildfire impact predictions and biochar management to enhance ecosystem resilience.
- Methane Emissions Monitoring: Another Colorado State University-led project focuses on monitoring methane emissions from cattle feedlots.
- Water Security and Extreme Weather Prediction: This project, led by the University of Wyoming, aims to improve predictions for extreme weather and water resource transitions in both states.
- Wildfire Risk and Prediction: Two projects, led by the University of Colorado Boulder and Colorado School of Mines, will use AI and data to predict wildfire risks and assess interactions between climate and power systems.
Additional funding rounds are expected in early 2025 as the CO-WY Engine continues to advance climate resilience innovation across the region.
For more information, visit the CO-WY Climate Resilience Engine’s website at www.co-wyengine.org.
