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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.
New Funding Opportunities & Announcements
- U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Announces Communities Sparking Investment in Transformative Energy (C-SITE) Awardees
Twelve local governments and tribes will receive more than $31 million in funding to support the implementation of high-impact clean energy projects in disadvantaged communities, energy communities, and small- and medium-sized jurisdictions. Two of the selectees are located in energy communities. - Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Awards $16.9 Million to Grow Appalachia’s Infrastructure, Businesses, Workforce and Tourism
Funded through the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies (ARISE), five collaborative projects across 10 Appalachian states are receiving $16.9 million in funding to expand the region’s infrastructure, tourism, business development and workforce opportunities.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Announces $7.3 Billion in Clean Energy Investments for Rural America
The Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program provides financing for rural electric cooperatives to build clean energy for rural communities across the country. The 16 selectees will leverage private investments of more than $29 billion to build more than 10 gigawatts of clean energy. - U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and DOE Announce Full Applications Open for Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit
The Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (§ 48C) Program received more than 800 concept papers seeking a total of nearly $40 billion in tax credits, representing $200 billion in total project investments. Of the nearly $40 billion, approximately $10.3 billion represent projects in designated energy communities census tracts. - DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) Announces Plans to Fund up to $400 Million for Clean Energy Projects in Rural and Remote Areas
OCED issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for up to $400 million to spur innovative, community-focused clean energy solutions in rural and remote areas across the country. This funding will support the deployment of commercially available, clean energy technologies, demonstrating their viability and benefits to rural and remote residents. - Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) Announces More Than $2.4 Million to Address Legacy Pollution and Spur Economic Growth in New Mexico
This funding will address polluting abandoned mine lands (AML); create good-paying, family-sustaining jobs; and catalyze economic opportunity throughout New Mexico. - USDA Rural Development Announces New Investment in Rural Partners Network
USDA Rural Development announced a new slate of economic development projects to lower costs, create jobs and upgrade critical infrastructure in rural and Tribal communities participating in the Rural Partners Network. - ARC Selects 30 Community Foundations for No-Cost Training Program and Funding Opportunity
READY Community Foundations will provide 30 community foundations serving the Appalachian region with no-cost training and access to funding to expand local philanthropic impact. - USDA Invests $140 Million to Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs in Rural Nevada and Kentucky Communities
The investment program will lower power bills for households; expand reliable access to clean energy; and create jobs for rural families, small businesses and agricultural producers.
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
- IRA Assistance for the Adoption of the Latest and Zero Building Energy Codes – Round 2 Due September 13
- Data-Driven Distributed (3D) Solar Visibility Prize Due September 15
- Connected Communities 2.0: Innovations to Manage Growing Transportation, Building, and Industrial Loads to the Grid Due October 10
- Solar Technologies’ Rapid Integration and Validation for Energy Systems (STRIVES) Due October 17
- Water Power Innovation Network Due October 23
- Offshore Wind National and Regional Research and Development Due November 7
- Community Energy Innovation Prize Due November 15
- Smart Manufacturing Technologies for Material and Process Innovation Due November 18
- Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce Due November 20
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Recreation Economy for Rural Communities (RERC) Due October 16
- Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program Due November 21
U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs Phase I Due September 17
- Biofuel Infrastructure and Agriculture Product Market Expansion (Higher Blend Infrastructure Incentive Program) Due September 30
- Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) Due September 30
U.S. Department of Commerce
- FY24 Good Jobs Challenge Due September 27
- FY2024 Manufacturing USA Institute – AI for Resilient Manufacturing Due September 30
U.S. Department of Transportation
- Railroad Crossing Elimination Grant Program Due September 23
- Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program FY24-FY26 Due September 30
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Events & Additional Resources
ReImagine Appalachia: Mapping Appalachia’s Historic Manufacturing Strengths
September 12, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Learn about new research that highlights competitive manufacturing sectors in the region and the places where they thrive and can continue to grow in the future.
§ 48C Round 2 Full Application Informational Webinar
September 16, 2024
1:00 p.m. ET via Webex
This webinar will provide eligible applicants information on how to prepare and submit a full application for Round 2 of the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Credit (§ 48C) program.
ReImagine Appalachia: Can the Ohio River Valley Become a Hub for Biomaterials Derived from Industrial Hemp?
September 26, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Explore industrial hemp as a promising biomaterial for Appalachia’s manufacturing sector. Focusing on the fiber side of the plant, this webinar will discuss the current hemp market, the future potential and the challenges that still need to be addressed.
ReImagine Appalachia: Manufacturing Alternatives to Single-Use Plastic
October 10, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Learn how compostable bioplastics and mycelium (the roots of mushrooms) could help replace single-use plastics and circularize Appalachian manufacturing for the long-term health of the environment and local economies.
ReImagine Appalachia: The Second Annual Redeveloping Shuttered Coal Plants Summit
October 16, 2024
12:00 – 3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
The Second Annual Summit for ReImagining Shuttered Coal Plants will launch a redevelopment handbook, focusing on sustainable development and community involvement in transforming former coal plants and coal ash ponds.
ReImagine Appalachia: Creating Green Building Product Supply Chains in Appalachia
October 24, 2024
3:00 p.m. ET via Zoom
Join this listening session to explore how to leverage the increased use of green building rating systems to boost demand for sustainable building materials that are produced in central Appalachia.
DOE Launches Community Benefits Map for Demonstration and Deployment Projects
This map identifies where DOE’s demonstration and deployment investments are occurring and includes high-level snapshots of the community benefits that may be associated with these investments
Success Story
In Webster County, Kentucky, the Dotiki Mine complex provided Western Kentucky with jobs, economic stability and energy for more than 50 years. When it closed in 2019, 200 people lost their jobs.
Madisonville Community College’s (MCC) Lineman Training Program, supported by a Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grant of more than $180,000, targets displaced coal miners and high school graduates not pursuing postsecondary education. The program is designed to meet the employment needs of utility companies and contractors in the region.
In 2019, the program received additional funding to establish new training programs for diesel mechanics and commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). A new workforce center, built on land formerly owned by a coal mining company, now serves students from MCC and Henderson Community College (HCC).
Learn more about MCC’s story here.
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.