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The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) is pursuing a whole-of-government approach to create good-paying jobs for energy workers, grow local economies and drive investments in energy communities across the country.
Advancing Economic Diversification in America’s Energy Communities: Energy Communities IWG Progress Report
Dive into the Advancing Economic Diversification in America’s Energy Communities: Energy Communities IWG Progress Report. Learn how we’ve engaged with our interagency partners to tackle challenges, empower workers, and deliver on our goal of driving public and private sector investments to America’s energy communities. This comprehensive report highlights our interagency efforts to foster economic development, engage with energy stakeholders, and align our efforts based on communities’ needs and insights.
Click here to read the report.
Investments in Energy Communities
Public investments are reigniting energy communities across the nation. Through a whole-of-government approach, more than $54 billion in federal investments has been awarded to support energy communities. Since 2021, these federal investments have helped catalyze approximately $315 billion in private sector investments. These investments are vital to supporting economic diversification, fostering job creation, and ensuring that workers and families in energy communities have the resources they need to thrive.
Energy Communities Conversation: Housing Webinar
The lack of and/or need for affordable housing is one of the number one challenges impacting energy communities across the country. Join us for an Energy Community Conversation on Thursday, December 19, from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. ET to learn about community and federal efforts to build capacity and address housing challenges in energy communities. Learn about investment opportunities and technical assistance programs from a variety of speakers and join the conservation through a facilitated Q&A discussion.
Click here to register today.
West Virginia Rapid Response Team Launch
The Energy Communities IWG and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development recently launched the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development as part of a national network of community-driven assistance designed to help diversify energy communities through targeted on-the-ground support. The announcement was made at the Federal Community Development Funding and Grant Writing Training in Beckley, West Virginia, hosted by the WV Community Development Hub and USDA Rural Development’s Rural Partners Network (RPN). The RRT will leverage federal and state resources to address local challenges and create long-term opportunities, building on previous investments and partnerships in the region.
New Investment Opportunities & Announcements
- U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) Announces $244 Million to Address Legacy Pollution in Pennsylvania
This investment will revitalize Pennsylvania’s coal communities by cleaning up sites, creating good-paying jobs and providing new economic opportunities for displaced coal workers. - Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Awards $33.5 Million to Boost Economic Growth Across 13 Appalachian States
ARC awarded $33.5 million to 12 collaborative projects across 13 states to support economic transformation, workforce development and disaster recovery in the Appalachian region. This is the largest single Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE) investment package to date. - DOI Announces More Than $140 Million to Address Legacy Pollution in West Virginia
This investment will address abandoned mine lands and revitalize coal communities in West Virginia, creating jobs and economic opportunities across the state. - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Announces $18.6 Million for Projects to Advance Clean Transportation
This investment will fund 15 projects aimed at advancing clean transportation, with a focus on expanding access to zero-emissions vehicles in rural, suburban and urban communities. These projects will partner with local coalitions across more than 30 states, providing technical assistance, workforce training and deployment of clean transportation technologies.
AmeriCorps Swears In First Class of Energy Communities AmeriCorps Members
The inaugural class of Energy Communities AmeriCorps has officially launched, with 17 members pledging to support economic development and job creation in energy communities across America. This $8 million public-private partnership, led by Conservation Legacy, will deploy 150 AmeriCorps VISTA members over three years to help revitalize these regions.
Energy Communities AmeriCorps to learn more.
Upcoming Investment Deadlines
The following investment opportunities and technical assistance programs have application deadlines coming up in the next several weeks and can all be found in the Energy Communities IWG’s online clearinghouse. To learn more about how to navigate the clearinghouse, click here.
U.S. Department of Energy
- Clean Energy Careers for All (CEC4A) Due December 13
- Offshore Wind Workforce Readiness Due December 13
- DOE Industrial Training & Assessment Centers (ITAC) Implementation Grants Due January 10
- Training for Residential Energy Contractors (TREC) Program Due January 15
- 2024 DOE Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP) Due January 15
- Innovating Distributed Embedded Energy Prize (InDEEP) Due January 27
- Solar Ambassador Prize Due January 31
- Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies to Drive National Goals Due January 31
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Water & Waste Disposal Technical Assistance & Training Grants due December 30
- Solid Waste Management Grants Due December 31
U.S. Department of Transportation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of Commerce
Events & Additional Resources
Green Bank for Rural America’s Virtual Launch Events
December 4–13, 2024
Register today for the virtual launch of the Green Bank for Rural America. This five-part event series will cover the application process, community engagement, workforce development and investor impact, all designed to empower rural energy communities.
Show Me The Money: Accessing Federal Funds Virtual Opportunities Conference
Thursday, January 9, 2025
10 a.m.–3 p.m. ET
The Energy Communities IWG’s Pennsylvania RRT will host a virtual conference for community leaders, government officials and staff, and nonprofit professionals in Armstrong, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Indiana and Washington counties. Representatives will discuss technical assistance for grant applications, review current and upcoming grants, and share sources of matching funds.
Investing in America: Western Winds of Change
Check out this new video from DOE that tells the story of a community in Carbon County, Wyoming, with a rich coal-mining history.
Project Spotlight: ACT Now Coalition
The Appalachian Climate Technologies Coalition (ACT Now Coalition) is leading efforts to revitalize Southern West Virginia, a region deeply affected by the coal industry’s decline. With $62.8 million in federal investments and an additional $26 million from nonfederal sources, the coalition aims to create 6,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs while generating $250 million in private investment.
Led by Coalfield Development, the initiative focuses on transitioning from coal to solar power, repurposing abandoned mine sites, rejuvenating brownfield sites and expanding workforce training in advanced manufacturing to build a more robust and diverse economy for the region.
Appalachian Climate Technologies Coalition (ACT Now Coalition) to learn more.
Best regards,
Brian J. Anderson, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization
To learn more about investment opportunities, visit the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse.
Check out the Getting Started Guide.
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