New York Selected to Receive Nearly $875,000 in Recovery Act Funding for Weatherization Training Center

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Public Affairs

Subject: Job Training

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that the Association for Energy Affordability, in New York, New York, has been selected to receive nearly $875,000 in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand New York’s weatherization training programs. This award is one of 34 projects in 27 states that have been selected to receive $29 million in total Recovery Act funding. These projects will provide green job training for local workers in energy efficiency retrofitting and weatherization services. With this training, skilled workers can help expand the use of energy efficient practices in America’s homes and businesses.

“A well-trained workforce will be a crucial part of America’s clean energy economy in the years ahead,” said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman. “These investments in efficiency training programs will help build a foundation for long-term growth in America. Energy efficiency improves the competitiveness of our economy, benefits the environment, and puts Americans back to work.”

This $1.1 million cost-shared project in New York sets out to specify and implement a standardized distance-learning platform that will connect weatherization providers and training centers to an interactive learning environment. The Association will offer significantly increased training opportunities to weatherization staff, build a results-driven training program, and reduce the travel and carbon footprint of weatherization workers.

Using innovative approaches to weatherization training and standardized training curricula, the training projects across the country will help prepare weatherization workers, supervisors, and inspectors to maintain a high degree of quality in weatherization projects and to work in the growing field of energy efficiency retrofits. The centers and programs will offer training using a combination of classroom, online, and hands-on learning tools.

The $29 million in funding will support the expansion of 8 existing weatherization training centers and the establishment of 26 new training centers, more than tripling the number of DOE-funded weatherization training centers nationally. The 34 programs announced today will significantly expand access to weatherization training, while improving the quality and consistency of training nationwide. These investments will continue to build on the Administration’s efforts to expand the green workforce and build a self-sustaining energy retrofit industry that creates high-quality jobs, while improving the environment and saving energy.

Under the Recovery Act, the Obama Administration is making unprecedented investments that are helping to build America’s clean energy future, including $5 billion to significantly ramp up the pace of weatherization in the United States. The training programs announced today will support a range of public and private energy efficiency efforts, including the Department’s Weatherization Assistance Program, which has already funded the weatherization of nearly 200,000 homes since last February, using both Recovery Act and annual program funds.

These weatherization training centers are part of the Department’s broader Training and Technical Assistance program for weatherization, including a variety of online tools, a national training platform, certification and accreditation standards, program evaluations, quality assurance reviews, and peer mentoring.

The following organizations have been selected for funding:

Applicant                                  Recovery Act Funding      Total Project Value*        City           State

Central Council Tlingit
& Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska        $961,692                       $1,159,212           Juneau          Alaska
Pulaski Technical College                  $1,000,000                     $1,244,507   North Little Rock, Arkansas

FSL Home Improvements                  $525,692                       $657,137           Phoenix            Arizona

LA Trade-Technical College              $725,976                       $907,470        Los Angeles        California

Century Center for Econ Opp, Inc.    $1,000,000                    $1,310,000       Gardena            California

Colorado Governor's Energy Office   $963,130                       $1,219,149       Denver              Colorado

The WorkPlace, Inc.                          $442,951                       $562,951       Bridgeport           Conn

University of Central Florida               $486,000                      $607,500         Cocoa                Fl

University of Florida                           $979,421                      $1,224,674     Gainesville           Fl

WorkNet Pinellas, Inc.                       $1,000,000                   $1,726,000    St. Petersburg       Fl

Southface Energy Institute                  $949,078                       $1,422,903      Atlanta               Ga

The Board of Trustees Univ of Ill       $959,635                       $1,199,544     Champaign          Ill

Wilbur Wright College                      $1,000,000                     $1,200,000      Chicago             Ill

Ind Comm Action Assoc, Inc.          $1,000,000                     $1,250,000      Indianapolis        Ind

Kentucky Housing Corporation        $995,756                        $1,259,051     Frankfort           Kent

LA. Assoc of CommActionPartners.$797,250                        $956,700        Baton Rouge      La

South Middlesex Opp Council         $705,225                       $1,049,515      Framingham       Mass

Univ of Mass Dartmouth                  $964,215                      $1,268,644       Dartmouth         Mass
Baltimore City Community College  $1,000,000                    $1,254,664      Baltimore          Md

Maine State Housing Authority        $880,010                       $1,086,720      Augusta            Me

Focus: HOPE                                 $848,172                       $1,061,565       Detroit             Mich

State of Montana                            $970,099                       $1,215,426       Helena            Montana

Bergen County Comm Action         $999,567                       $1,275,103      Hackensack      NJ
NM Mortgage Finance Authority    $919,579                       $919,579          Santa Fe         NM

Assoc for Energy Affordability        $873,617                      $1,102,398       New York       NY

Corporation for Ohio App Dev.      $999,846                      $1,249,846      Athens              Oh

Or Energy Coordinators Assoc       $1,000,000                   $2,923,000       Salem             Oregon

Penn College of Technology            $916,981                      $1,163,972     Williamsport      Penn

Bucks County Comm College         $631,260                      $757,512        Newtown         Penn

Gov's Office of Economic Dev        $323,700                      $438,700        Clearfield          Ut

Green Jobs Alliance                        $981,260                       $1,511,260     Hampton         Va

Comm Housing Partners Corp       $1,000,000                    $1,300,000      Christiansburg  Va

Wisc Energy Conservation Corp    $255,198                       $318,998         Madison         Wi
WV Gov's Off of Econ Opp          $1,000,000                    $1,250,000      Charleston     WV

*Includes applicant cost share
For more information, visit http://weatherization.energy.gov/.