Feds restore support to regional climate centers

Karl Schneider

Indianapolis Star

USA TODAY NETWORK

The U.S. Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have reversed course and renewed financial support of the Midwest Regional Climate Center just days after pulling the funding.

The MRCC, based at Purdue University, is one of six regional climate centers throughout the U.S. that were facing a suspension of products and services due to the cuts. As of Monday, the online services of the centers were restored.

Erin Murphy, chief spokesperson at Purdue, confirmed the MRCC was back up and running.

'The Midwest Regional Climate Center websites of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) have been reinstated due to NOAA’s decision to grant funding at this point,' Murphy wrote in an email to IndyStar.

The center’s website is again accessible with a message the funding has been restored.

'Thank you to everyone who expressed their strong support for the Regional Climate Center program,' the website says.

IndyStar’s environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.

Karl Schneider is an IndyStar environment reporter. You can reach him at karl.schneider@indystar.com. Follow him on BlueSky @karlstartswithk.bsky.social