The Economic Development Administration‘s (EDA) fiscal year 2016 Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) funds are now available.
Both EDA and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) are accepting project proposals and applications for POWER 2016 grants.
Here in the United States, booming natural gas production, declining costs for renewable energy, accelerating advances in energy efficient technology, flattening demand for electricity, and updated clean air standards are transforming how electric power is generated, priced, and consumed.
These trends are producing beneficial outcomes for many Americans, such as cleaner air and healthier communities, as well as the creation of new jobs in emerging renewable energy industries. At the same time, these trends also directly impact workers and communities who have historically relied on the coal economy for good jobs and economic prosperity. To help these communities adapt to the changing energy landscape and reposition their economies for a prosperous future, the Obama Administration created the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, or POWER.
The POWER Initiative is an integrated, multi-agency effort to invest federal economic and workforce development resources in communities and regions negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy. Under POWER, the term coal economy is used to refer to the complete supply chain of coal-reliant industries. This includes, but is not limited to: coal mining, coal-fired power plants, and related transportation, logistics, and supply chain manufacturing.
There are no submission deadlines for this funding opportunity. Pre-applications/proposals and complete applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and processed in accordance with the requirements set out in this announcement. As total available POWER 2016 funding is limited, interested applicants are strongly encouraged to begin preparing project pre-applications/proposals at their earliest convenience.