To create a 21st Century Civilian Energy Conservation Corps focused on promoting and improving the energy conservation and efficiency of residential and public buildings and spaces, creating economic opportunity for disconnected youth, and for other purposes.

Summary: Energy Conservation Corps Act of 2008 - Establishes the Energy Conservation Corps in the Department of Energy (DOE) to hire for up to 24 months disadvantaged or disconnected individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 (Corps members) to work in service projects, primarily team-based, designed to increase energy efficiency and improve natural resources use.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to accept applications from nonprofit, governmental, or educational organizations to establish, operate and support the Corps and to undertake projects related to energy and resource conservation and rural development. Requires such organizations to provide Corps members with access to education and job training opportunities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Energy Conservation Corps Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. ENERGY CONSERVATION CORPS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established in 
        1933 was one of the singularly successful Federal programs in 
        American history.
            (2) The CCC provided work and vocational training for 
        3,500,000 unemployed young Americans through projects designed 
        to develop and conserve the country's natural resources and 
        build and maintain its infrastructure.
            (3) Projects included environmental clean up, wild fire 
        prevention, erosion control, vegetation mapping, invasive 
        species removal, reforestation, recreational facility 
        construction, trail building, swamp drainage, flood relief, and 
        disaster response.
            (4) This extensive development and improvement of public 
        lands by the CCC was in large part responsible for the modern 
        national and State park systems.
            (5) Today, an estimated 3,800,000 18-24 year olds, roughly 
        15 percent of all young adults, are neither employed nor in 
        school. Since 2000 alone, the ranks of these nonengaged young 
        adults have grown by 700,000, a 19 percent increase.
            (6) High school dropouts are at high risk of incarceration. 
        Approximately 16 percent of all young men, ages 18-24, without 
        a high school degree or GED are either incarcerated or on 
        parole at any point in time. According to a 2002 Report from 
        the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,000,000 people are 
        incarcerated at an average annual cost of $20,000 per inmate--
        for a total cost of $40,000,000,000 per year.
            (7) In testimony before the House Education and the 
        Workforce Committee in 2005, Secretary of Education Margaret 
        Spellings said that dropouts ``cost our Nation more than $260 
        billion'' in ``lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity 
        over their lifetimes''.
            (8) Energy inefficiencies account for at least 50 percent 
        of all United States energy use.
            (9) According to the World Watch Institute, United States 
        electricity use could be reduced by 70 percent through 
        efficiency gains alone.
            (10) Estimates indicate that while the average United 
        States household's energy costs are equal to 7 percent of 
        household income, low-income households spend 17 percent of 
        their household earnings on energy.
            (11) In a manner similar to the CCC of the 1930s, 
        disconnected young people can be mobilized to retrofit, 
        weatherize, and otherwise improve the energy efficiency of 
        residential and public facilities that account for more than 40 
        percent of carbon emissions.
            (12) The rehabilitation, renovation, and retrofitting of 
        these facilities by disconnected youth engaged in public 
        service benefit the disconnected youth, the facility resident 
        and owners, the communities in which they are located, as well 
        as the environment as shared by all.
            (13) Service and conservation corps, by providing 
        educational and training opportunities to disconnected youth 
        through national and community service projects, have an 
        established record of administering such projects.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section--
            (1) to create an Energy Conservation Corps that will 
        provide educational and economic opportunities to disadvantaged 
        and disconnected youth by engaging them in team-based service 
        projects designed to promote and improve the energy 
        conservation and efficiency of residential and public buildings 
        and spaces; and
            (2) through the Energy Conservation Corps, to stimulate 
        interest among young people in stewardship of the environment 
        and natural resources and lifelong service to their communities 
        and the United States.
    (c) Establishment of the Energy Conservation Corps.--
            (1) In general.--The Energy Conservation Corps is hereby 
        established in the Department of Energy.
            (2) Age and background.--The Energy Conservation Corps 
        shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, 
        inclusive, at least 50 percent of whom come from disadvantaged 
        or disconnected backgrounds.
            (3) Civil service.--Individuals may be enrolled in the 
        Energy Conservation Corps without regard to the civil service 
        and classification laws, rules, or regulations of the United 
        States.
            (4) Duration.--Individuals may be enrolled in the Energy 
        Conservation Corps for up to 24 months.
            (5) Opportunities.--Energy Conservation Corps will provide 
        such individuals with opportunities to further their education, 
        through programs designed to help them obtain a high school 
        diploma, GED, job training, professional certificate, or access 
        to post-secondary education.
            (6) Projects.--Energy Conservation Corps will engage such 
        individuals in service projects, primarily team-based, designed 
        to increase energy efficiency and improve natural resources 
        use.
    (d) Eligible Applicants.--
            (1) Supporting organizations.--The Secretary shall accept 
        applications from qualified service and conservation corps, and 
        nonprofit organizations, units of State, county, and local 
        government, and institutions of higher education for the 
        purpose of establishing, operating, and supporting Corps.
            (2) Qualifications.--Applicants shall demonstrate an 
        ability to--
                    (A) provide Corpsmembers with access to programs to 
                obtain a high school diploma or GED; and
                    (B) create pathways for Corpsmembers to 
                postsecondary education or a credential or further job 
                training and ultimately, employment.
            (3) Cost per member.--Upon receipt of such information as 
        the Secretary may reasonably require, the Secretary may set a 
        cost per member that takes into account the educational, 
        social, and family services disconnected young people who are 
        out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or have had 
        contact with the justice system may require.
            (4) Flexibility.--The Secretary shall provide flexibility 
        in recruitment and retention outcomes to grantees, depending on 
        Corpsmember demographics, in light of the fact that 
        disconnected young people are often more difficult to recruit 
        and retain.
            (5) Alternative success measurement.--The Secretary shall 
        allow for alternative measurements of success such as the use 
        of growth models.
            (6) Training and technical assistance.--The Secretary shall 
        ensure that the Energy Conservation Corps has adequate access 
        to relevant training and technical assistance services to be 
        provided by at least one national nonprofit organization with a 
        demonstrated record of experience in promoting and 
        disseminating effective practices among service and 
        conservation corps.
    (e) Eligible Corpsmembers.--
            (1) Age.--Youth enrolled in the Energy Conservation Corps 
        shall be between the ages of 16 and 25.
            (2) Assurances.--Such youth shall be able to provide 
        assurances that they did not withdraw from school for the 
        purpose of participating in the program.
            (3) Preference.--Preference in recruitment shall be given 
        to disadvantaged or disconnected young people.
    (f) Eligible Projects.--The Secretary shall accept applications for 
service projects related to energy and resource conservation and rural 
development including, but not limited to--
            (1) building, retrofitting, and weatherizing residential 
        and public facilities to meet appropriate standards;
            (2) conducting energy assessments and providing and 
        implementing solutions for low-income homeowners and 
        communities;
            (3) providing education, training, and support regarding 
        energy efficiency, resource conservation, and reuse to low-
        income homeowners and communities;
            (4) installing or constructing renewable energy 
        improvements (such as wind, wave, solar, biomass, and 
        geothermal energy sources); and
            (5) building and maintaining alternative transportation 
        routes.
    (g) Preference for Certain Projects.--In selecting appropriate 
service projects to be carried out under this section, the Secretary 
shall give a preference to those projects that--
            (1) provide development, training, and practical work 
        experience for young individuals in important career fields 
        relating to energy efficiency, and act as preparation for 
        additional education or permanent employment for young adults 
        and which will provide long-term benefits to the public;
            (2) instill in the participant a work ethic and a sense of 
        public service;
            (3) will be labor intensive;
            (4) can be planned and initiated promptly; and
            (5) will provide academic, experiential, or community 
        education opportunities.
    (h) Consistency.--Each appropriate service project carried out 
under this section shall be consistent with the provisions of law and 
policies relating to the management and administration of such 
projects, facilities, or resources, with all other applicable 
provisions of law, and with all management, operational, and other 
plans and documents which govern the administration of such projects, 
facilities, or resources.
    (i) Nondisplacement.--The nondisplacement requirements of the 
National and Community Service Act of 1990 shall be applicable to all 
activities carried out under this section by a qualified corps.
    (j) Donations.--The Secretary is authorized to accept donations of 
funds, services, facilities, materials, or equipment for the purposes 
of operating the Energy Conservation Corps and carrying out appropriate 
service projects by the Corps.
    (k) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) Disadvantaged youth.--The term ``disadvantaged youth'' 
        means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, 
        who, because of certain characteristics, circumstances, 
        experiences, or insufficiencies, encounter financial, legal, 
        social, educational, emotional or health problems and may have 
        significant difficulties growing into adults who are 
        responsible citizens, productive workers, involved members of 
        communities.
            (2) Disconnected youth.--The term ``disconnected youth'' 
        means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who 
        are out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or 
        formerly court-involved or incarcerated.
            (3) Qualified service and conservation corps.--The term 
        ``qualified service and conservation corps'' means any program 
        established by a State or local government or by a nonprofit 
        organization that--
                    (A) is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, 
                productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 
                and 25, inclusive, in an infrastructure, housing, or 
                transportation setting;
                    (B) gives participants a mix of work experience, 
                basic and life skills, education, training, and support 
                services; and
                    (C) provides participants with the opportunity to 
                develop citizenship values and skills through service 
                to their communities and the United States.
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means to the 
        Secretary of Energy.
    (l) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2009 through 2013 for carrying out this section.