$28 Million More For US Clean Energy Workforce Development

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The Biden–Harris administration’s work getting major clean energy legislation passed continues to deliver. Aspects of that legislation continue to roll out. The announcement today is that $27.98 million in Investing in America agenda funding for clean energy workforce development is being distributed. This is happening under the Energy Auditor Training (EAT) Grant Program, and the first round of selectees have been … selected.

This program has been enabled and funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), passed while Democrats controlled the US Senate, the US House of Representatives, and the White House.

The program is initially distributing funding to 15 State Energy Offices (SEOs) and the American Samoa Territorial Energy Office (TEO) in order to “increase the green building workforce across the country and support the implementation of national energy efficiency improvements sparked by BIL and the Inflation Reduction Act,” as the US Department of Energy (DOE) summarizes. More specifically, they are being subsidized to find more opportunities to save energy. “EAT will ensure that our commercial and residential building energy auditors identify ways to reduce energy usage, promote energy efficiency, and offer energy savings to homes and businesses for our country’s upgrade to a more sustainable future.”

There’s no doubt about it — the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) are improving energy efficiency and clean energy deployment every single day.

“There are over two million American workers in the energy efficiency sector and the demand for their skills continues to grow thanks to the Biden-Harris Investing in America agenda,” said US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Today’s funding will expand our clean energy workforce as we move swiftly to deploy energy saving solutions to homes and consumers across the nation.” Indeed.

Here are more details on the funding being distributed in this round, from the DOE:

Commercial Sector Selectees

The Georgia Environmental Finance Authority ($1,998,481) will establish the ‘Southeast Commercial Energy Auditor Collaborative Partnership,’ to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to obtain commercial building energy auditor certifications. The initiative represents a collaborative partnership between the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

The Hawai’i State Energy Office ($900,000) will establish the ‘Hawai’i Energy Auditor Training (HEAT) Program’ that will leverage ongoing workforce development partnerships and initiatives in Hawai’i. The initiative will close gaps in job access by connecting trainees to career opportunities that promote job quality and economic mobility.

Residential Sector Selectees

The American Samoa Territorial Energy Office ($2,000,000) will establish a residential energy auditor training program to address critical gaps in the local workforce, enhance energy efficiency in residential buildings, and promote economic mobility and job quality, particularly for its most vulnerable and underserved residents.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity ($2,000,000) will establish an energy auditor training program in partnership with the Indoor Climate Research and Training division of the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission. The program will create standardized training for multifamily building energy auditing and create career pathways for qualified workers from disadvantaged communities.

The Minnesota Department of Commerce ($1,810,629) will establish the ‘White Earth Tribal and Community College (WETCC) Energy Auditor Training Program’ to support workforce development in northwest Minnesota. The WETCC Energy Auditor Training Program will ensure trainees have the necessary tools to overcome entry barriers and achieve success by offering a range of support services such as mentorship, career counseling, transportation solutions, and language support.

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Office of Energy Programs ($2,000,000), in partnership with Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will establish the ‘Southeast Residential Energy Auditor Collaborative Partnership’ to fill the demand for certified auditors in the historically underserved Southeast and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Other state energy offices selected for negotiations include:

Commercial Sector