Agenda Item Name:
Title
(10 min) Update on Department of Energy Technical Assistance for Energy Modernization for People, Opportunity, Work, Equity, and Renewables (EMPOWER)End
Presenter:
Nkwanda Jah, NAACP Environment & Climate Justice Committee
Marianne Schmink, Community Weatherization Coalition
Description:
Presentation on the work to date on DOE EMPOWER Technical Assistance
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Hear the presentation
End
Prior Board Motions:
NA
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
NA
End
Strategic Guide:
Strategic Guide
Social and Economic Opportunity
End
Background:
This is a presentation updating the Board on progress to date on the Alachua County EMPOWER Program supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
A project road map is nearly complete. Work with the DOE and energy-burdened communities will commence in September 2022.
In April 2022, DOE chose the Alachua County EMPOWER Program to receive technical assistance. Their assistance will advance clean energy-related economic development in the County. Communities LEAP is a first-of-its-kind initiative designed to help energy-burdened communities take direct control of their clean energy future.
Partners in this effort include the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Committee (NAACP ECJC); Alachua County; City of Gainesville-Gainesville Regional Utilities; Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area and Economic Development and Innovation Department; and the Community Weatherization Coalition/Rebuilding Together North Central Florida (CWC/RTNCF).
The partnership will receive support from DOE to create community-wide action plans that reduce local air pollution, increase energy resilience, lower utility costs and energy burdens, and provide long-term jobs and economic opportunities. In addition, the Project EMPOWER team will work with DOE and its technical assistance providers to develop roadmaps for clean energy economic development pathways.
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