FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative | whitehouse.gov

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/27/fact-sheet-partnerships-opportunity-and-workforce-and-economic-revitaliz[8/18/2015 12:03:56 PM]

Briefing Room

Your Weekly Address

Speeches & Remarks

Press Briefings

Statements & Releases

White House Schedule

Presidential Actions

Executive Orders

Presidential Memoranda

Proclamations

Legislation

Pending Legislation

Signed Legislation

Vetoed Legislation

Nominations & Appointments

Disclosures

2015 Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff

For Immediate Release March 27, 2015

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for

SHARE

 THIS:

TWITTER 

FACEBOOK 

the WHITE HOUSE PRESIDENT BARACK

 OBAMA

HOME · BRIEFING ROOM · STATEMENTS & RELEASES


FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative | whitehouse.gov

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/27/fact-sheet-partnerships-opportunity-and-workforce-and-economic-revitaliz[8/18/2015 12:03:56 PM]

 Opportunity and Workforce and Economic

 Revitalization (POWER) Initiative

The United States is undergoing a rapid energy transformation, particularly in the 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 trends are producing

 cleaner air and healthier communities, and spurring new jobs and industries. At the same

 time, they are impacting workers and communities who have relied on the coal industry as a

 source of good jobs and economic prosperity, particularly in Appalachia, where competition

 with other coal basins provides additional pressure.

To help these communities adapt to the changing energy landscape and build a better future,

 the President’s FY 2016 Budget proposed the POWER+ Plan. The POWER+ Plan invests in

 workers and jobs, addresses important legacy costs in coal country, and drives development

 of coal technology.

This year, the Administration will make a down payment on the POWER+ Plan by beginning

 implementation of a key part of the Plan - the Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and

 Economic Revitalization (POWER) initiative. POWER will be a coordinated effort, involving

 multiple federal agencies, with the goal of effectively aligning, leveraging, and targeting a

 range of federal economic and workforce development programs and resources to assist

 communities negatively impacted by changes in the coal industry and power sector. The

 POWER initiative will coordinate use of appropriated FY 2015 funds from a range of federal

 programs, while following the relevant statutory and regulatory requirements for each

 program.

The POWER initiative will award grants on two parallel tracks to partnerships anchored in

 impacted communities. These grants will help communities organize themselves to respond

 on behalf of affected workers and businesses, develop comprehensive strategic plans that

 chart their economic future, and execute coordinated economic and workforce development

 activities based on their strategic plans. These activities will seek to: (1) diversify economies;

 (2) create jobs in new or existing industries; (3) attract new sources of job-creating investment;

 (4) and provide a range of workforce services and skills training, including work-based

 learning opportunities, resulting in industry-recognized credentials for high-quality, in-demand

 jobs.

These efforts in FY 2015 will lay the groundwork for a multi-year initiative with grants awarded

 in future years based on the availability of appropriations. The President’s FY 2016 Budget

 includes over $55 million for economic and workforce development strategies across a

EMAIL 
FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative | whitehouse.gov

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/27/fact-sheet-partnerships-opportunity-and-workforce-and-economic-revitaliz[8/18/2015 12:03:56 PM]

 number of federal programs, which would be used to continue and expand the POWER

 initiative after it begins this year.

POWER Funding and Administrative Structure

POWER will award grants using $28-$38 million in FY 2015 funds from the Department of

 Commerce (DOC), Department of Labor (DOL), Small Business Administration (SBA), and the

 Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC). The grants will be designed to assist communities

 regardless of their different levels of capacity, planning and preparation. A two-track grantmaking process is described below, with an understanding that some communities will require

 some form of pre-planning technical assistance in order to effectively apply for either planning

 or implementation grants.

Track #1: Planning Grants

DOC and DOL will award planning grants to communities that have been or will be impacted

 by coal mining and coal power plant employment loss (or layoffs in the manufacturing or

 transportation logistics supply chains of either) and that do not have robust and/or recent

 comprehensive and integrated economic development strategic plans in place. Grant funds

 would be available to help organize community stakeholders, analyze and inventory

 community assets, evaluate needs and resources, and develop comprehensive economic

 development strategic plans. Grants would also go to State Workforce Agencies for in-depth

 labor market analysis and workforce development and dislocated worker planning connected

 with the provision of training and employment services.

Funding Sources:

DOC – Economic Development Administration (EDA), Assistance to Coal Communities,

 Economic Adjustment Assistance, and Partnership Planning

DOL – Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Dislocated Worker National

 Emergency Grants [1]

Track #2: Implementation Grants

DOC, DOL, SBA, and ARC will award implementation grants to communities that have been

 impacted by coal mining and coal power plant employment loss (or layoffs in the

 manufacturing or transportation logistics supply chains of either) and that have already done

 robust strategic planning. Grants would support the implementation of linked economic and

 workforce development strategies to develop high-potential industry clusters, assist impacted

 communities to accelerate job creation by leveraging local assets, train and place workers in

 family-supporting, high-demand jobs (including Registered Apprenticeship and other on-thejob training models), and to create linkages that drive regional economic growth.
FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative | whitehouse.gov

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/27/fact-sheet-partnerships-opportunity-and-workforce-and-economic-revitaliz[8/18/2015 12:03:56 PM]

Funding Sources:

DOC -- EDA, Assistance to Coal Communities, Economic Adjustment Assistance, and

 Partnership Planning (up to $15 million total for both grant making tracks)

DOL – Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Dislocated Worker National

 Emergency Grants (up to $10-20 million total for both grant making tracks)

SBA, Regional Innovation Clusters and Growth Accelerators (up to $3 million

 combined[2])

ARC, Technical Assistance and Demonstration Projects (up to $500 thousand for

 applicants from its region)

The implementation grants will be awarded through a single POWER Federal Funding

 Opportunity (FFO) announcement that combines funding opportunities and activities and

 services from different programs and agencies but maintains the eligibility rules, permitted

 activities, and reporting requirements of the originating program and funding. Partnerships will

 be encouraged to apply for more than one funding source where appropriate, but that will not

 be required.

Additional Federal Agency Participation

A number of other federal agencies will also participate in the POWER initiative by providing

 technical assistance and education and outreach to POWER partnerships, coordination with

 existing resources, and/or preference points for agency funding for applications from the

 partnerships. The additional agencies will include:

USDA-Rural Business Cooperative Service

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response

Department of Energy

Department of Treasury, Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI)

 Fund

DOC, SelectUSA

DOC, NIST-Manufacturing Extension Partnerships

Corporation for National and Community Service

Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Administration

EDA will be the administrative home for POWER given the economic development thrust of

 this initiative. EDA will manage the joint FFO announcement and overall process of

 competitive solicitation, provide a single staff point of federal contact (with staffing assistance
FACT SHEET: The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative | whitehouse.gov

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/03/27/fact-sheet-partnerships-opportunity-and-workforce-and-economic-revitaliz[8/18/2015 12:03:56 PM]

 from other participating agencies when needed) for the selected partnerships, and coordinate

 cross-agency activities at the regional level that direct additional federal resources to impacted

 communities. Grant selection, awards and execution will be managed by each authorized

 agency, with EDA playing a coordination role.

POWER Partnerships

Eligibility for applicants for POWER awards will be dictated by the sources of the funds.

 Regardless of the primary applicant for Implementation Grants, POWER will encourage a

 broader partnership to participate, including (but not limited to) representatives from

 government, economic development organizations, workforce development boards,

 community and technical colleges, businesses, labor unions, and community groups.

Timeline

April/May, 2015: Track #1 POWER Planning Grant announcement issued

April/May, 2015: Track #2 POWER Implementation Grant FFO issued

July/August, 2015: POWER Planning and Implementation Grant awards ready to announce

[1] The DOL-ETA will solicit applications for planning activities with implementation activities as

 part of the combined Implementation Grant FFO

[2] Regional Innovation Clusters funding will be $500,000 for the first year for one partnership,

 with an option to extend funding by another $2 million over the next four years.

       

HOME BRIEFING ROOM ISSUES THE ADMINISTRATION PARTICIPATE 1600 PENN

En Español Accessibility Copyright Information Privacy Policy USA.gov