DOE is hosting a Workshop for Capacity Building for Energy Assets - November 14, 2024 at 12:00 PM ET

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is hosting a Capacity Building for Energy Assets Informational Webinar. There will be many discussions to explore capacity building through new alternatives such as (but not limited to) data centers, nuclear power, and critical mineral processing to maintain jobs and the tax base while decarbonizing the economy, while also highlighting the workforce development challenges and needs. The workshop will also spotlight funding opportunities through various government agencies for these purposes.

This event will take place on Thursday, November 14, 2024 from 12:00-5:00 PM ET. Click Here to Register for This Event

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced up to $2.7 million in federal funding available to help local communities across the country create a roadmap toward repurposing existing energy assets, with expanded eligibility for participants. This announcement builds on the Capacity Building for Repurposing Energy Assets initiative that was first launched in August 2023 to assist communities where a significant portion of their local economy has historically been supported by energy assets, such as coal, oil, and/or natural gas power facilities and accompanying equipment and infrastructure.

The initiative will help communities build technical capacity and develop a workforce necessary to help revitalize energy systems, address environmental impacts, and tackle challenges associated with energy assets that have been retired, or are slated for retirement (2009-2033). This effort advances FECM’s mission of minimizing environmental and climate impacts of energy systems and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across our economy. It also supports the broader DOE mission of ensuring efficient transformation of the energy system while prioritizing labor and community engagement.

The re-issuance of this initiative expands the eligibility for communities to partner with eligible entities that include:

1. Community Colleges, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, and other educational entities recognized by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights;
2. Local economic development entities;
3. Community based organizations and non-governmental organizations;
4. Local elected officials from municipalities (e.g. mayors’ offices);
5. Labor unions and labor-management organizations;
6. Organizations that represent workers in energy communities; and
7. Workforce development entities involved in administering the public workforce system.

To see the previous opportunity details please CLICK HERE

This effort seeks to support performers (e.g., municipal governments, community-based NGOs) in capacity building and workforce development planning in communities that host existing energy assets that have retired, or are slated for retirement, and that comprise or comprised a significant portion of local activities (e.g., jobs, tax revenue, and related considerations).

In particular, the objective of this effort is to directly support an embedded work stream supported by a staffer whose primary responsibility is coordination and planning, with a particular emphasis on workforce development oriented around productively and sustainably repurposing such assets, their sites and associated infrastructure.

This effort advances FECM’s mission of minimizing environmental and climate impacts of fossil fuels and industrial processes while working to achieve net-zero emissions across our economy and the broader DOE mission of ensuring efficient transformation of the energy system while prioritizing labor and community engagement.

Community-based government or nongovernmental organizations (e.g., municipal governments; nonprofit organizations dedicated to community development, especially related to energy and economic transition) will dedicate a staff member whose primary responsibility is coordination and planning the productive and sustainable repurposing of an existing energy asset(s), especially emphasizing workforce development.

• Organizations should be based in communities that host existing energy assets that currently comprise (or comprised at some point within the last 5 years) a significant portion of local economic activities (e.g., jobs, tax revenue, and related considerations).    
• Existing energy assets of interest are primarily large, single facility assets (e.g., power plant; mine) with a planned or reasonably anticipated closure date between 2009 and 2032, but could also be a collection, network, or other agglomeration of facilities (e.g., natural gas or oil wells) that is expected to retire in the that time range.
• Organizations should articulate how this work stream is new and additive: the goal is to enable work not previously completed and to build capacity within the organization.
• Organizations should commit to knowledge sharing with other selected performers, e.g., through quarterly calls and/or meetings, and should be able to articulate how they will continue to share knowledge with other organizations facing similar challenges after the completion of this work stream.
• Organizations should commit to knowledge sharing with other selected performers, e.g., through quarterly calls and/or meetings, and should be able to articulate how they will continue to share knowledge with other organizations facing similar challenges after the completion of this work stream.

How to Participate

• Review the General Overview and Objective
• Review the Additional Resources From Previous Opportunity [2023]: Click Here to View
• Review the Pre-Recorded OSS below
• Review the resources from Office Hours (OH) Q&A Webinar on April 11, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET
• Download the Capabilities Overview Template: Click Here to Download
• Complete the Submission Form and Upload Completed Template: Click Here to Upload (Submissions are due NLT April 18, 2024 at 3:00 PM ET)