POWER Initiative: Collaborating at the Federal Level to Help Energy-Dependent Communities

Changes in the U.S. power sector, largely driven by market forces, have negatively impacted many local and regional economies that have primarily depended on coal as a source of good jobs and investment.  These communities are now in need of assistance to diversify their economies and train workers for new jobs. 

The Obama Administration is committed to providing direct federal assistance to these communities to ensure that they are able to diversify their economies, create new employment opportunities, and equip the local and regional workforce with the skills that are needed to compete in the global economy.

The Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative is a coordinated, multi-federal agency effort led by the EDA that uses existing federal economic and workforce development program resources to provide integrated and coordinated investments in communities impacted by shifts in the coal industry and power sector.

The POWER Initiative showcases the Obama Administration’s and each agency’s commitment to breaking down silos within the federal government, and effectively increasing the collective impact of federal investments in American communities. Our federal partner include: the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA), the Small Business Administration (SBA), and the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

Yesterday, I was honored to travel to Somerset, Kentucky where I announced $10 million in U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grants for 26 projects.

These grants included $2 million in POWER planning grants to communities that do not currently have robust, comprehensive and integrated economic development strategic plans in place. 

These grants will be invested in the development, implementation, revision, or replacement of Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS), which evaluate and leverage the community’s or regions unique assets in order to create and retain higher-skill, higher-wage jobs in both existing and new/emerging commercial sectors.  

The investments also included nearly $8 million in POWER implementation grants to communities which have already completed the comprehensive economic and workforce strategic planning process. EDA’s POWER implementation grants will be invested in a variety of projects and activities that that are designed to produce one or more of the following types of economic benefits:

1. Local/Regional Economic Diversification
2. Job creation in existing and emerging industries
3. Leveraging New Investment (Public and Private)
4. Workforce Development Opportunities for Dislocated Coal Economy Employees

These investments were part of the 36 awards - totaling nearly $15 million - announced by the administration yesterday, representing a variety of projects and activities that will generate new opportunities for these coal communities, enabling them to create new jobs and grow their economies.

Through these collaborative efforts and community-based partnerships, we are working together to build a stronger future for American communities through economic development.

For more information on the POWER Initiative please visit the POWER page on EDA’s website.