The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) was awarded 2nd place in the Event – Community Engagement Forum category of the 2024 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards from the National Association of Government Communicators.
“It is an absolute honor to receive the 2024 Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award for our work supporting energy workers and communities through economic and energy transitions, and breaking down the barriers to access critical federal funds and assistance,” said Energy Communities IWG Executive Director Brian Anderson. “While we know our work is far from done, this recognition is so important to demonstrating that what we in the federal government do is highly effective and deserving of continued support. Thank you to our team for your hard work and to the NAGC for this great honor.”
NAGC rewards excellence in the field of communications with awards in more than 40 categories in the annual Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Awards. NAGC awards underscore the association’s high standards of professionalism in public service.
The submission detailed the planning, execution, and outcomes of the Energy Communities IWG’s Catalyzing Economic Development in Pennsylvania’s Energy Communities event in October 2023. The event featured several senior government officials, including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Senator Bob Casey, Governor Josh Shapiro, and Appalachian Regional Commission Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. The Energy Communities IWG also announced the Pennsylvania Rapid Response Team, Getting Started Guide, and Navigator function at the event.
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. The working group supports the Administration’s goals of a carbon emissions-free electricity sector by 2035 and economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050.