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DOE Loan Programs Office
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Looking Back on DOE Justice Week 2023
In late October, the Department of Energy’s newly-named Office of Energy Justice and Equity held its second Justice Week. This year’s theme was “Equity Empowered” and each day participants dove into a different topic including equity, Justice40, energy justice, and Minority Serving Institutions and Minority Business Enterprises. Lindsay Gorrill, Founder and CEO of KORE Power, Inc., which received a conditional commitment from LPO in June 2023, discussed their work with the community of Buckeye, Arizona. Gorrill shared some of his thoughts on how to be successful working with the community: “The most important thing is trust.” “Understanding who is the community. As we talk to the community...we keep asking who else should we invite." “We’re not going to be successful unless the community is successful.”
If you happened to miss any of the programming, you can watch it here.
How to Get Started on Your Community Benefits Plan
A Community Benefits Plan (CBP) is an essential part of the loan application process, from early application materials to closing and throughout the life of the loan. A well-developed CBP encapsulates how an applicant is partnering with Tribal government and local stakeholders, such as labor unions and nonprofits, to ensure residents and workers will share in the benefits of the proposed project. Learn what steps you can take to address the four key priorities of a CBP here.
New Frontiers for Empowering Workers and Business
The U.S. Department of Labor held an event on November 28, 2023, "New Frontiers for Empowering Workers & Business" which focused on how labor and business can work together towards mutual success and prosperity. Among the many panelists and speakers, Amy Pannoni, Vice President of Microsoft, and Felix Ejeckam, CEO of Akash Systems, both spoke about their commitments to neutrality and how it has helped their businesses succeed. Ejeckam stated how partnering with a union provided the company the “opportunity to help us focus on what we can do really well and leveraging what the union can do for us.” Watch the full event here: New Frontiers for Empowering Workers and Business and read DOL's blog entitled Empowering Future Leaders With Pathways to Better Opportunities.
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Workforce Spotlight: CelLink’s Workforce Plan in Fast-Growing East Texas Town
In October 2023, Director Jigar Shah and the LPO Community Jobs & Justice team sat down with educators, construction partners, and municipal development representatives from around the greater Austin region at the CelLink factory in Georgetown, Texas. Among many great conversations, there were three key takeaways: 1) early workforce engagement lowers risk in a project; 2) it’s starting to make sense to build in America again; and 3) reshoring successfully will take all of us. Read more here.
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The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy will be hosting the Tribal Clean Energy Summit on February 27-28, 2024, at the Pechanga Resort Casio in Temecula, California. This meeting will bring Tribal Leaders and staff together to build networks, exchange ideas, and explore clean energy solutions that support Tribal energy sovereignty.
The Department of Interior (DOI) offers resources for federal employees, EJ professionals and advocates, and members of the public, providing access to a broad range of knowledge on topics relevant to the practice of environmental justice. This is a great place to learn about ways to expand your and your team’s knowledge and practice of environmental justice. Explore the center here.
The annual National Environmental Justice Conference and Training Program brings together community members, academia, the private sector and state and local officials, as well as Federal and State government representatives to examine the state of environmental justice (EJ) and share best practices. The 2024 Conference theme is “Providing Equitable and Just Access to a Healthy, Sustainable, and Resilient Environment” and will be held in conjunction with Race Forward’s “Sustaining Racial Equity Across the Federal Government Training Program for Federal Civil Servants.” The conference will be held April 16-18, 2024, in Washington, DC. Registration ends March 19, 2024.
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RECENT FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENTS
On November 15th, the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) announced the availability of $98 million in funding for approximately 75 YouthBuild grants. YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational services for youth ages 16-24 who left school without a secondary diploma and face other barriers to employment. Applications are due February 1, 2024.
As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda and in conjunction with National Apprenticeship Week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the selection of 17 new Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) and the inaugural cohort of 10 Building Training and Assessment Centers (BTAC). Selectees are expected to receive a combined $40.8 million, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to expand training opportunities for in-demand, high-quality jobs while identifying opportunities for organizations to save energy, improve productivity, and reduce waste.
U.S. Department of Labor Worker-Centered Sector Strategy Training Programs
The U.S Department of Labor (DOL) announced nearly $94 million in grants to support 34 public-private partnerships to provide worker-centered sector strategy training programs in 25 states and the District of Columbia to meet workforce needs created by the Biden-Harris administration’s “Investing in America” agenda.
Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development
In partnership with the Department of Justice, the U.S Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the award of more than $63 million in funding to enhance the Bureau of Prisons’ existing rehabilitation and reentry efforts by partnering with workforce agencies in 11 additional states.
The Partners for Reentry Opportunities in Workforce Development grants will provide support for people in federal custody to prepare them to succeed once they return to their communities and rejoin the workforce. Research shows that securing quality employment is a top challenge for formerly incarcerated people and that employment reduces the risk of recidivism. Good jobs produce more successful reentries while strengthening public safety and the community and economy at-large.
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FUNDING RESOURCES
This new guide is for people who live or work in rural and remote areas and who are looking to plan or build clean energy projects in their communities. The guide can help you find, get ready for, and apply to federal funding and programs for clean energy.
Deadline: Q1 2024
Applications for the Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit program under Section 48(e) of the Internal Revenue Code are now open. This program provides a 10 or 20-percentage point boost to the Investment Tax Credit for qualified solar or wind facilities in low-income communities.
Deadline: November 21, 2024
EPA’s Community Change Grants announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for approximately $2 billion dollars in Inflation Reduction Act funds in environmental and climate justice activities to benefit disadvantaged communities through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity to address environmental and climate justice challenges. These place-based investments will be focused on community-driven initiatives to be responsive to community and stakeholder input. They are designed to deliver on the transformative potential of the IRA for communities most adversely and disproportionately impacted by climate change, legacy pollution, and historical disinvestments.
For more information on funding through the US Department of Labor in your community, see their map of Currently Active Grantees.
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Justice40 establishes the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities. The Justice40 Explainer highlights how DOE will ensure that projects do not create or exacerbate harm.
Have questions about Community Benefits Plans or other aspects of how Community Jobs & Justice issues are considered during the LPO financing application process? Explore the LPO Community Jobs & Justice webpage for more information!
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