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The 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.
Energy Communities IWG Announces Launch of Appalachia Ohio Rapid Response Team
The Energy Communities IWG announced the launch of a Rapid Response Team (RRT) in Appalachian Ohio at the 3rd Annual Appalachia Forward Conference held September 27, 2023. The Appalachia Ohio RRT, led by the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA), will assist regional stakeholders in coordinating federal resources to navigate the economic and energy transition in the region. The Appalachia Ohio RRT will work directly with local and state leaders to help communities and workers navigate and access federal funding and technical assistance through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.
Learn more here.
Economic Revitalization in Pennsylvania’s Energy Communities
Energy Communities IWG will host an event at Westmoreland County in Pennsylvania on October 20 to highlight federal opportunities that can help catalyze economic development in the state’s energy communities. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with federal officials to share challenges their community faces and identify solutions to address those needs.
Success Stories Webpage
The Energy Communities IWG has officially launched its Success Stories webpage! Serving as the hub for energy communities’ achievements during times of economic transformation, this page will highlight the efforts of these communities to boost their economies and citizens’ lives for years to come.
Read more here.
New Funding Opportunities & Announcements
- U.S. Department of Energy Launches Round Two of Communities LEAP
Communities LEAP (Local Energy Action Program) provides technical assistance to support disadvantaged communities and communities with historical ties to fossil fuel industries to take direct control of their clean energy future.
- U.S. Department of Labor Awards $44M to Support Workers in Appalachian, Lower Mississippi Delta and Lower Border Regions
The U.S. Department of Labor, alongside the Appalachian Regional Commission, Delta Regional Authority and Northern Border Regional Commission, awarded more than $44 million to provide career training and supportive services to help workers secure good jobs in stable, high-demand occupations.
- U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2 Million to Expand Construction Industry Workforce Development in Converse County, Wyoming
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $2 million Assistance to Coal Communities grant to Converse County, Wyoming, to expand the workforce training lab at Eastern Wyoming College. This grant will support constructing a building addition to house new classrooms, administrative space and a wood technology lab to provide workforce training and job reskilling in a region impacted by changes in the energy economy.
- U.S. Department of Commerce Invests $2 Million to Support Workforce Development Efforts in Hazard, Kentucky
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded a $2 million grant to the Pine Ridge Regional Industrial Authority, Inc. in Hazard, Kentucky, to build a new laboratory building for the Hazard Community and Technical College. This grant will support workforce development in this energy community for renewable energy, electricity, nursing, utility line repair and CDL certification.
- ARC Awards Nearly $14 Million to 43 Projects Supporting Appalachians Recovering from Substance Use Disorder
The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded nearly $14 million to 43 projects through its Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative. This initiative addresses Appalachia’s substance use disorder crisis by investing in projects that create or expand services in the recovery ecosystem.
- U.S. Department of Energy’s Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new funding opportunity of up to $300 million in grants for states, tribes and local governments to accelerate and strengthen electric transmission siting and expand transmission capacity. Concept papers are due October 31, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.
- U.S. Department of Transportation Thriving Communities Program
DOT is accepting applications for its FY23 Thriving Communities Program (TCP). TCP provides technical assistance, planning and capacity building support to teams of community partners to scope, fund, and develop infrastructure projects that advance broader community goals.
- Office of Economic Impact and Diversity’s Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program
The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit Program (48(e)) provides an opportunity to create jobs, reduce costs for families and contribute to economic growth in communities that have been historically left behind. Applications are expected to open in fall 2023.
Upcoming Funding Deadlines
The following funding opportunities and technical assistance programs have application deadlines coming up in the next four weeks and can all be found in the IWG’s online clearinghouse. To learn more about how to navigate the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse, click here.
Appalachian Regional Commission
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Commerce
U.S. Department of Energy
- Maintaining and Enhancing Hydroelectricity Incentives Applications Due Oct. 6
- Mitigating Emissions from Marginal Conventional Wells Applications Due Oct. 10
- Underserved and Indigenous Community Microgrids (UICM) Applications Due Oct. 16
- Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Facilities Track Applications Due Oct. 18
- Manufacture of Advanced Key Energy Infrastructure Technologies (MAKE IT) Strategies Track Applications Due Oct. 18
- Advanced Processing of Critical Minerals and Materials for Industrial and Manufacturing Applications, Applications Due Oct. 20
- Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas Fixed Award Grant Program Applications Due Oct. 26
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Region 8 Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers Program (EJ TCTAC) Applications Due Oct. 11
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) Applications Due Oct. 12
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA) Applications Due Oct. 12
- Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) Solar for All Applications Due Oct. 12
Events & Additional Resources
- White House Technical Assistance Guide
The White House deployed a Technical Assistance Guide to make it easier for communities across the country to navigate, access and deploy infrastructure, climate resilience and clean energy funding. The guide provides information about more than 100 federal technical assistance programs.
- EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants for State, Territory, Municipal, and Tribal Governments Webinar
Learn more information about the next phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program during EPA’s webinar on October 3 at 3:00 p.m. EDT.
- EDA Offers Application Support for the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program
The U.S. Economic Development Administration is hosting office hours to answer applicant questions about the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program on October 4 at 4:00 p.m. EDT.
- EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants for Tribes, Tribal Consortia, and U.S. Territories Webinar
Join EPA to hear more about the next phase of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program during a webinar held on October 5 at 1:00 p.m. EDT.
- Brushy Fork 2023 Leadership Summit
The 2023 Brushy Fork Leadership Summit, Leading Through Resilience: Imagining the Future, will be held November 2-3 at Berea College. This two-day gathering will feature intensive workshop tracks and information for non-profit development. Registration is open.
Success Story
Pineville, Kentucky is revitalizing its downtown. The town is one of many areas that has felt the impact of the coal industry decline and has been looking for ways to keep jobs flowing and improve the quality of its downtown. Pineville recently rolled out incentives for upkeeping properties and recent renovations, such as that of the local theater that flooded in 1977, to bring life into downtown. Yoga sessions, exercise classes, sip and paints and new restaurants are just the beginning of what has been coming to the area since the revitalization process began. The town is also in the midst of a streetscape project, funded in part by an Appalachian Regional Commission grant. The next phase is expected to include decorative sidewalks, public WIFI, café tables and other tourist amenities that will attract new people to the area.
On behalf of all 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
For the latest updates, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. To learn more about funding opportunities, visit the Energy Communities IWG Clearinghouse. Click here to share your success story.