This FFO announces the availability of funding for implementation grants under the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative.
The POWER Initiative is a new interagency effort to assist communities and workers negatively impacted by changes in the
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coal industry and power sector.
Booming natural gas production, declining costs for renewable energy, increases in energy efficiency, flattening electricity demand, and updated clean air standards are changing the way electricity is generated and used across the country.
These industry shifts impact workers and communities who have relied on the coal economy as a source of good jobs and economic prosperity.
The goal of the POWER Initiative is to align, leverage, and target complementary federal economic and workforce development resources to assist communities and workers negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy.
By aligning and leveraging the resources of DOC’s EDA, DOL’s ETA, ARC, and SBA, this initiative seeks projects that reach across economic development and workforce development systems and support local solutions that implement existing economic development strategic plans.
This FFO is intended to competitively award grants to partnerships of regionally-oriented economic and workforce development organizations and other key stakeholders located in and supporting impacted coal communities.
These grants will enable grantees to take deliberate and measured steps to build economic resilience, industry diversification, local and regional workforce pipelines, and promote new job creation opportunities.
Funds across all four programs will be prioritized to those applications that establish a clear linkage between the proposed project and how it will result in local economic growth and diversification, job creation, and job training and reemployment for dislocated workers as outlined in a broader economic and workforce development strategy.
In addition to funds made available under this FFO, the POWER initiative makes EDA funds available for planning assistance.
Additionally, eight additional federal agencies and offices participating in the POWER initiative will provide technical assistance and education and outreach to winning applicants, and/or preference points for additional agency funding.