I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1775 

To provide support to develop career and technical education programs of 

study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 30, 2009 

Mr. MCNERNEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To provide support to develop career and technical education 

programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable 

energy. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grants for Renewable 

5 Energy Education for the Nation Act’’ or the ‘‘GREEN 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds that— 

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1 (1) career and technical education provides edu2 cation pathways that help students explore interests 

3 and careers that support the United States economy; 

4 (2) the United States needs to develop renew5 able energy options that conserve energy and provide 

6 energy efficiency and new and yet unrecognized 

7 fields are developing as a result of the attention and 

8 focus on renewable energy, and new workers will be 

9 needed for professions in these fields; 

10 (3) the Conference of Mayors reports that mil11 lions of U.S. workers across a wide range of familiar 

12 occupations, States, and income and skill levels will 

13 all benefit from the project of defeating global 

14 warming and transforming the United States into a 

15 green economy; 

16 (4) a report commissioned by the American 

17 Solar Energy Society attributed 8.5 million jobs in 

18 2006 to renewable energy or energy efficient indus19 tries and the Apollo Alliance predicts that the Na20 tion could generate 3 million to 5 million more green 

21 jobs over the next 10 years; 

22 (5) more than 40 percent of the fastest growing 

23 occupations will require an associate’s degree, a 

24 postsecondary vocational certificate, or extensive job 

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1 training, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics 

2 Report; 

3 (6) more than 80 percent of respondents in the 

4 National Association of Manufacturers 2005 skills 

5 gap report indicated that they are experiencing a 

6 shortage of qualified workers overall with 13 percent 

7 reporting severe shortages and 68 percent indicating 

8 moderate shortages; 

9 (7) career and technical education graduates 

10 are more likely to be in the labor force and earn 

11 more than graduates who have a high school degree; 

12 and 

13 (8) career and technical education programs 

14 need support in acquiring the latest technology and 

15 developing programs that prepare students for the 

16 new and emerging renewable energy field. 

17 SEC. 3. RENEWABLE ENERGY CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 

18 GRANTS. 

19 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Education is 

20 authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eli21 gible partnerships to develop programs of study (con22 taining the information described in section 122(c)(1)(A) 

23 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 

24 Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2342)), that are focused on emerg25 ing careers and jobs in the renewable energy sector. 

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1 (b) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIPS.—For purposes of this 

2 section, an eligible partnership shall include— 

3 (1) at least 1 local education agency eligible for 

4 funding under section 131 of the Carl D. Perkins 

5 Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 

6 U.S.C. 2351) or an area career and technical edu7 cation school or education service agency described 

8 in such section; 

9 (2) at least 1 postsecondary institution eligible 

10 for funding under section 132 of such Act (20 

11 U.S.C. 2352); and 

12 (3) representatives of the community including 

13 business, labor organizations, and industry that has 

14 experience in the renewable energy field. 

15 (c) APPLICATION.—An eligible partnership seeking a 

16 grant under this section shall submit an application to the 

17 Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Sec18 retary may require. Applications shall include— 

19 (1) a description of the eligible partners and 

20 partnership, the roles and responsibilities of each 

21 partner, and a demonstration of each partner’s ca22 pacity to support the program; 

23 (2) a description of the career area or areas 

24 within the field of renewable energy to be developed, 

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1 the reason for the choice, and evidence of the labor 

2 market need to prepare students in that area; 

3 (3) a description of the new or existing program 

4 of study and both secondary and postsecondary com5 ponents; 

6 (4) a description of the students to be served by 

7 the new program of study; 

8 (5) a description of how the program of study 

9 funded by the grant will be replicable and dissemi10 nated to schools outside of the partnership, including 

11 urban and rural areas; 

12 (6) a description of applied learning that will be 

13 incorporated into the program of study and how it 

14 will incorporate or reinforce academic learning; 

15 (7) a description of how the program of study 

16 will be delivered; 

17 (8) a description of how the program will pro18 vide accessibility to students, especially economically 

19 disadvantaged, low performing and urban and rural 

20 students; and 

21 (9) a description of how the program will ad22 dress placement of students in non-traditional fields 

23 as described in section 3(20) of the Carl D. Perkins 

24 Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 

25 U.S.C. 2302(20)). 

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1 (d) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give priority to 

2 applications that— 

3 (1) use online learning or other innovative 

4 means to deliver the program of study to students, 

5 educators, and instructors outside of the partner6 ship; and 

7 (2) focus on low performing students and spe8 cial populations as defined in section 3(29) of the 

9 Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education 

10 Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(29)). 

11 (e) PEER REVIEW.—The Secretary shall convene a 

12 peer review process to review applications for grants under 

13 this section and to make recommendations regarding the 

14 selection of grantees. Members of the peer review com15 mittee shall include— 

16 (1) educators who have experience imple17 menting renewable energy curriculums; and 

18 (2) business and industry experts who work and 

19 build in renewable energy fields. 

20 (f) USES OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this 

21 section shall be used for the development, implementation, 

22 and dissemination of programs of study (as described in 

23 section 122(c)(1)(A) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 

24 Technical Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2342(c)(1)(A))) in 

25 career areas related to energy sustainability. 

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1 SEC. 4. RENEWABLE ENERGY FACILITIES GRANTS. 

2 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of Education is 

3 authorized to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eli4 gible entities to promote development of career and tech5 nical education facilities that are energy efficient and pro6 mote the use of renewable energy practices. 

7 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of this sec8 tion, eligible entities include— 

9 (1) a local education agency eligible for funding 

10 under section 131 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 

11 Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2351) 

12 or an area career and technical education school or 

13 education service agency described under that sec14 tion; or 

15 (2) a postsecondary institution eligible for fund16 ing under section 132 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 2352). 

17 (c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 

18 under this section shall submit an application to the Sec19 retary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

20 information as the Secretary may require. 

21 (d) PEER REVIEW.—The Secretary shall convene a 

22 peer review process to review applications for grants under 

23 this section and to make recommendations regarding the 

24 selection of grantees. Members of the peer review com25 mittee shall include— 

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1 (1) career and technical education administra2 tors who have experience with energy-efficient facili3 ties and equipment; and 

4 (2) business and industry experts who build and 

5 work in renewable energy facilities. 

6 (e) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this sec7 tion shall be used for— 

8 (1) performing an evaluation of the sustain9 ability aspects of current facilities, unless such an 

10 evaluation has been conducted prior to receiving a 

11 grant under this section; 

12 (2) convening stakeholders, including organiza13 tions devoted to the promotion and support of re14 newable energy activities, to develop a plan to ad15 dress needs identified in such an evaluation, unless 

16 such a plan has already been developed prior to re17 ceiving a grant under this section; 

18 (3) initiating activities related to the construc19 tion, operation, and improvement of facilities that 

20 promote the use of renewable energy practices; 

21 (4) purchasing energy-efficient machinery, tech22 nology, or other physical equipment used as an edu23 cational tool to deliver career and technical edu24 cation courses; 

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1 (5) measuring the effectiveness of the new or 

2 improved facilities and infrastructure, such as com3 plying with existing renewable energy standards; and 

4 (6) communicating the lessons and practices 

5 learned from the building upgrades to other institu6 tions. 

7 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

8 There is authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 

9 to the Secretary of Education to carry out the grant pro10 gram established under this Act. 

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