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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 union jobs, spur economic revitalization, remediate environmental degradation and support energy workers in coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities across the country.
Empowering America’s Energy Communities: IWG Stakeholder Retreat
The Energy Communities IWG is hosting its first-ever stakeholder retreat in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, July 23, and Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Empowering America’s Energy Communities: IWG Stakeholder Retreat aims to give energy community stakeholders, like yourself, the opportunity to participate in a dialogue addressing community challenges and to help shape the future of the working group’s efforts.
The event will provide community leaders with a platform for their voices to be heard and an opportunity to interact face-to-face with federal officials and decision-makers. Don’t forget to register today!
Waterways Freight Diversification and Economic Development Initiative
The Waterways Freight Diversification and Economic Development Initiative seeks to revitalize communities along the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela River Corridor. Many of these communities have been affected by coal mine and power plant closures, and this initiative aims to channel federal funding and resources into these areas to stimulate public and private investments, creating good-paying jobs.
The Energy Communities IWG is conducting listening sessions with stakeholders to understand community challenges, identify opportunities and share best practices. By addressing barriers and leveraging federal incentives, this multistate initiative seeks to bolster the economic prospects of communities in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio.
New Resource: Site Review Tool
Embark on your clean energy investment journey by visiting the Energy Communities IWG’s new Site Review Tool. The interactive map provides access to publicly available information on facilities, nearby infrastructure, and community attributes, including energy community census tracts.
The Site Review Tool empowers community leaders and developers to promote investment into energy communities and encourages users to learn and explore the diverse range of investment options.
New Funding Opportunities & Announcements
- U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Makes More Than $600 Million Available for Projects That Reconnect Communities
DOT announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the third round of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Program, containing FY24–26 funding of more than $600 million available for both capital construction and community planning grants. The RCP Program funds locally driven projects such as interstate caps, highway removals, complete streets and Main Street revitalizations. - U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Announces More Than $18 Million to Support Clean Energy Projects
DOE announced federal funding to four states and 20 local governments for the next round of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program grants. These projects will help improve energy efficiency, reduce climate pollution and lower overall energy use. - DOE Invests $1.4 Million to Provide Workforce Development Opportunities in Energy Communities
DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) announced federal funding for 14 local organizations and universities representing communities across the country that will each create a roadmap toward repurposing their existing energy facilities. - U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Announces $725 Million to Clean Up Legacy Pollution
DOI announced that nearly $725 million is available to 22 states and the Navajo Nation to create good-paying jobs and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands (AMLs). This is the third allotment in AML funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will help communities clean up pollution caused by past coal mining. - DOI Announces $130 Million to Help Create Jobs and Revitalize Land in Coal Communities
DOI’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is making available $130 million in funding for the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization (AMLER) Program for projects that return legacy coal mining sites to productive uses through economic and community development. - DOI Delivers Additional $43 Million for Rural Water Projects
DOI announced federal investments for six rural water projects that will provide clean, reliable drinking water to rural and Tribal communities in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico and South Dakota.
Upcoming Funding Deadlines
The following funding 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
- BIL – Joint Office of Energy and Transportation: Communities Taking Charge Accelerator FY 24 FOA Due July 16
- Wind Turbine Materials Recycling Prize Due July 19
- Solar Ambassador Prize Due July 31
- WASTE: Waste Analysis and Strategies for Transportation End-Uses Due August 14
- American-Made Solar Prize – Round 7 Due August 22
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
- Affordable Housing and Supportive Services Demonstration Due July 15
- Community Economic Development Projects Due July 17
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Department of Labor
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Transportation
Appalachian Regional Commission
Events & Additional Resources
- Advancing Appalachia: ARC 2024 Annual Conference
September 4–5, 2024
Chattanooga Convention Center, Chattanooga, Tennessee
The Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) annual conference will highlight how Appalachia’s 13 states and 423 counties are working to advance the region by building businesses and workforces, investing in infrastructure and tourism, and growing local leadership capacity. - Indiana Clean Transportation Funding Webinar
The Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI) and the Energy Communities IWG held an informational webinar on federal efforts to support Indiana’s coal communities. - Climate Capital Guidebook
The Biden administration released its Climate Capital Guidebook to provide a simple, comprehensive map of funding programs across the federal government available to climate-related start-ups, small- and medium-sized businesses, and investors. - Rural Grant Applicant Toolkit for Competitive Transportation Funding
DOT developed a guide for potential applicants to identify and navigate discretionary opportunities for rural transportation projects. Although the Grant Applicant Toolkit focuses on rural transportation projects, many grant funding resources can apply more broadly to other projects. - FACT SHEET: Biden Administration Announces Historic Rules to Create Good-Paying, High-Quality Clean Energy Jobs
DOT and the Internal Revenue Service announced final rules implementing the prevailing wage and registered apprenticeship increased credit provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. - FY 2025 Brownfields Job Training Grants Webinar
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization hosted an outreach webinar to explain the grant guidelines for interested applicants and to address commonly asked questions.
Success Story
The Wilds, a nonprofit animal conservation center located in Cumberland, Ohio, is building a 60-acre recreational vehicle campground funded by a $2 million American Rescue Plan grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) and $3.5 million from ARC, DOI’s OSMRE, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and other partners.
The funding will play a significant role in attracting tourists to the park, which sits on 10,000 acres of reclaimed mine land. The EDA investment is set to be matched with $700,000 in local funds and is anticipated to create 100 jobs, retain 25 jobs and generate $500,000 in private investments.
Learn more about the Wilds here.
Support § 48C as a Reviewer
Are you interested in supporting the implementation of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (§ 48C)? DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) is looking for experts to support the application merit review process.
Learn more about what it means to be a reviewer here and email [email protected] to express your interest.
On behalf of all Energy Communities IWG member agencies, thank you for your continued interest in programs that support people living and working in America’s energy communities. Please feel free to share this newsletter with others in your network who may benefit.
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 funding opportunities, visit the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse.
Check out the Getting Started Guide and Navigator.
Click here to share your success story.