DOE Announces up to $74 Million for Fuel Cell Research and Development

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy today announced it is accepting applications for a total of up to $74 million to support the research and development of clean, reliable fuel cells for stationary and transportation applications. The solicitations include up to $65 million over three years to fund continued research and development (R&D) on fuel cell components, such as catalysts and membrane electrode assemblies, with the goal of reducing costs, improving durability and increasing the efficiency of fuel cell systems. The funding also includes up to $9 million to conduct independent cost analyses that will assess the progress of the technology under current research initiatives and help guide future fuel cell and hydrogen storage R&D efforts. These awards will help support U.S. leadership in the emerging global fuel cell market, while limiting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the country's reliance on fossil fuels.

Fuel cells use the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity or heat with minimal byproducts, primarily water. They can produce power in large stationary systems such as buildings or for vehicles such as commercial forklifts, buses and automobiles.

The Department will be funding research and development initiatives related to fuel cell system balance-of-plant components, fuel processors, and fuel cell stack components such as catalysts and membranes, as well as innovative concepts for both low and high temperature systems to help meet commercial viability targets in terms of cost and performance. Applicants will likely include teams of university, industry and national laboratory participants.

Applications for the $65 million research and development program are due by March 3, 2011. Applications for the cost analysis solicitation are due on February 18, 2011. Funding for both programs are subject to congressional appropriations. More information and application requirements and instructions can be found at https://www.fedconnect.net/FedConnect/?doc=DE-FOA-0000360&agency=DOE.

The Fuel Cell Technologies Program has a comprehensive portfolio of activities that address the full range of barriers facing the development and deployment of hydrogen and fuel cells with the ultimate goals of decreasing our dependence on oil, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling clean, reliable power generation. For more information on the Fuel Cell Technologies Program, please visit www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/.

Environmental Workforce Job Training Grants

Deadline: March 18, 2011
Est. number of awards: 13
Funding available: $13 million

While Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants focus on hazardous and solid waste remediation and health and safety, including required core training in HAZWOPER, applicants may design their own curriculums by choosing what types of supplemental environmental training they want to provide.

This supplemental training must include the following three additional training courses: 1) innovative and alternative treatment technologies (e.g., the training in the preparation of sites for renewable energy installation, phytoremediation, etc.); 2) leaking underground storage tank prevention; and 3) training related to solid waste management, assessment, and/or cleanup (e.g., construction and demolition debris recycling, landfill closure, electronics recycling, etc.). As EPA encourages applicants to develop their curriculums based on hiring needs in the community and employer surveys, applicants may choose to deliver the three additional required training courses at varying degrees of “awareness.”

$184 M for vehicle technologies

Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu announced the Department is accepting applications for up to $184 million over three to five years to accelerate the development and deployment of new efficient vehicle technologies that will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, save drivers money, and limit carbon pollution. Projects will span the broad spectrum of technology approaches, including advanced materials, combustion research, hybrid electric systems, fleet efficiency, and fuels technology.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement addresses the development of key technologies required to achieve large scale adoption of advanced vehicles such as plug-in electric hybrids (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs). Although the first of a new generation of electric drive vehicles is now entering the market, advancements in batteries, power electronics and lightweight materials are required to be fully competitive. In addition, extremely efficient vehicles utilizing improved combustion technologies, fuels, and waste heat recovery offer significant near-term improvements to conventional vehicles.

The Department is seeking applications from industry, laboratory and university teams to address our transportation challenges. The solicitation seeks to fill gaps in the existing program through the development of enabling technologies that will remove barriers and create new paradigms in vehicle design.

The Funding Opportunity Announcement released today focuses on eight approaches to improving vehicle efficiency:

• Advanced fuels and lubricants: Improve today's vehicle fuels and lubricants to enable optimal performance of advanced combustion engines.
• Light weighting materials: Accelerate commercial availability of lighter weight vehicles using advanced materials like magnesium and carbon fiber to dramatically reduce vehicle weight.
• Multi-material light weight material prototype: Design, build, and test a light-weight vehicle that is 50 percent lighter than a baseline light-duty vehicle.
• Advanced cells and design technology for electric drive batteries: Develop high energy or high power electric vehicles that significantly exceed existing state-of-the-art technologies in terms of performance and/or cost.
• Advanced power electronics and electric motor technology: Develop the next generation of power inverters and electric motors to meet demanding performance targets while achieving significant reductions in cost.
• Thermoelectric and enabling engine technology: Improve the efficiency of thermoelectric devices to convert engine waste heat to electricity. Develop early-stage enabling engine technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
• Fleet efficiency: Develop and demonstrate fuel efficient tire and driver feedback technologies that will positively affect efficiency of the fleet of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
• Advanced vehicle testing and evaluation: Conduct laboratory and field evaluations of advanced technology vehicles and related infrastructure, while developing new or modified test procedures.

Applications for the solicitation are due February 28, 2011. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov to be considered for awards. The Department of Energy expects to announce the selections by summer 2011.

Read more information on the Vehicle Technologies Program website.

$50 M for Solar Technologies

Washington, DC - Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the Department's intent to fund up to $50 million to test and demonstrate innovative technologies that will lead to cost-competitive solar energy technologies. The demonstration program will be a critical link between the Department of Energy's advanced technology development programs and full-scale commercialization efforts. The Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will serve as a proving ground for cutting-edge solar technologies, such as concentrating solar thermal power and concentrating photovoltaic energy, which can be used for utility applications in the Southwestern United States where there is an abundance of solar energy.

"This funding will allow the Department to further test advanced and innovative solar energy technologies in real-world conditions, providing critical data for companies and communities looking to invest in large-scale solar projects," said Secretary Chu. "The Solar Demonstration Zone in Nevada is part of an integrated effort to expand the solar energy industry, helping to put America on a path to a sustainable energy future and create the jobs of the 21st century economy."

The Department expects to announce the Funding Opportunity Announcement early next year. Potential technology applications include Concentrated Solar Power systems that use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight on a heat absorbing fluid, convert it to steam, and ultimately generate electricity, as well as Concentrated Photovoltaic Power that uses lenses to concentrate sunlight to improve the efficiency of conventional photovoltaics. The demonstration projects as part of the Solar Demonstration Zone will be deployed at a large enough scale to provide useful operating and economic data for the eventual deployment of solar energy projects at utility-scale, which are typically grid-connected projects larger than 20 megawatts.

The Solar Demonstration Zone at the Nevada National Security Site will complement the Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management's 24 Solar Energy Study Areas (SESAs) on public lands across the Southwest United States by providing essential data about the commercial viability of the most advanced solar technologies.

As part of DOE and the Department of Interior's continuing collaboration, the Departments are working together to implement this project, including conducting environmental reviews and coordinating necessary infrastructure planning for the site. Department of Energy funding for the project is dependent upon congressional appropriations. The full Notice of Intent is available on FedConnect.net by searching under Reference Number DE-FOA-0000233.

For more information on the Solar Energy Technologies Program and solar funding opportunities, please visit the Solar Program's website.

Lean more information on the BLM's renewable energy program.

Local companies receive Small Business Advantage grants

Pennsylvania's Small Business Advantage program provides small businesses (those with fewer than 100 employees) with 50-percent matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to implement projects that will save at least 20 percent annually in pollution prevention or energy-related costs. Since 2004, the Small Business Advantage Grant program has invested $6.7 million in 1,220 small businesses.

Examples of eligible projects include HVAC and boiler upgrades, high-efficiency lighting, solvent recovery and waste recycling systems, and auxiliary power units that help large trucks reduce time spent with idling engines.

Clarion County
C&A Trees Unlimited - $7,500 to purchase and install greenhouse energy curtain to conserve energy.

Crawford County
Cox and Kanyuck Electric LLC - $5,065 to purchase and install heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to conserve energy.

Erie County
George Ko Industries Inc. - $7,500 for the purchase and installation of efficient process equipment to conserve energy and resources.

Molly Brannigans-Erie - $538 to purchase and install efficient lighting to conserve energy.

Erie East Market Inc. - $7,500 to purchase and install heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to conserve energy.

Venango County
Chad M. Baker - $4,150 to purchase and install auxiliary power unit in long-haul truck to eliminate idling during layovers.

Schake Industries Inc. - $4,789 to purchase and install heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to conserve energy.

Kapp Alloy & Wire Inc. - $7,500 to purchase and install heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to conserve energy.

Klapec Auto Body - $7,500 to purchase and install heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades to conserve energy.

Superior Energy Performance Program

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Energy announced the first industrial plants in the country to be certified under the Superior Energy Performance program -- a new, market-based industrial energy efficiency program. The energy management certification program is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and will serve as a roadmap for industrial facilities to help continually improve their efficiency and maintain market competitiveness. The industrial and manufacturing sectors, which account for roughly one-third of energy use in the United States, include significant opportunities to improve the overall efficiency of their operations. By reducing the energy necessary for their industrial processes, companies can save money, save energy, and help create new clean energy jobs.

Along with support from DOE, the U.S. Council for Energy Efficient Manufacturing (U.S. CEEM) is leading the development of Superior Energy Performance to help make it possible for companies to conform to the upcoming International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 50001 energy management system standard. ISO, the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards, identified energy management as a priority due to the significant potential to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Based on broad applicability across national economic sectors, the ISO 50001 standard could eventually influence up to 60 percent of the world's energy demand.

The Superior Energy Performance will be well positioned to provide a transparent, globally accepted system for validating energy intensity performance improvement and management practices. Consistent with this goal, the program is already serving as the basis for the Global Superior Energy Performance initiative, a multi-country effort to create and harmonize nationally accredited energy performance certification programs. Together, these programs are expected to produce significant global energy and carbon savings.

Read more about the Superior Energy Performance program.

To learn more about industrial energy efficiency, visit DOE's Industrial Technologies Program website.

Green Jobs Conference

The 2011 Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference will be held on February 8 - 10, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The 2011 Conference is a leading forum for sharing ideas and strategies for building a green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming and other environmental problems, and secures America's economic and environmental future.

Conference Agenda

Workshop Descriptions

Conference Webpage

Registration

TogetherGreen Grants

[From Philanthropy News Digest]

The National Audubon Society has announced TogetherGreen Innovation Grants totaling nearly $1.1 million to forty-three projects in twenty-seven states.

Launched in 2008 with a five-year, $20 million grant from Toyota, the TogetherGreen program supports projects innvolving Audubon Society chapters and community-based organizations that are using innovative approaches and technologies to engage new and diverse audiences and tackle pressing conservation problems. Since its launch, the program has awarded more than $3.5 million in support of approximately one hundred and thirty environmental projects nationwide. For complete list of this year's winning projects, visit the TogetherGreen Innovation Grants program Web site.

“43 Environmental Projects Receive Togethergreen Innovation Grants.” National Audubon Society Press Release 12/09/10.

Energy Export Initiative

WASHINGTON - U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu joined seven other U.S. Government agencies in launching the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative, a coordinated effort to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency exports. In partnership with the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy co-chairs the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee Working Group of the federal agencies participating in the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative.

While continuing to support trade missions, commercial advocacy, and industry outreach, DOE is also investing in instrumental market research and discovery that can help focus U.S. government resources for trade promotion. For example, DOE will identify U.S. manufactured energy efficiency products likely to be competitive in global markets, and in collaboration with U.S. trade associations, DOE will explore the creation of guides for foreign buyers listing technologies and services available from U.S. providers.

"Expanding U.S. clean technology exports is a critical step to ensuring America's economic competitiveness in the years ahead," said Secretary Chu. "The initiatives we are announcing today will provide us with a better understanding of the global clean energy marketplace and help boost U.S. exports."

The Initiative is the country's first-ever Federal government coordinated effort to support renewable energy and energy efficiency exports. Through the implementation of 23 interagency actions, the Initiative will facilitate a significant increase of renewable energy and energy efficiency exports during the next five years, helping to meet the goals of the National Export Initiative and President Obama's challenge to become the leading exporter of clean energy technologies.

The prospects for U.S. technology exports focusing on this industry are vast. More than 100 countries now have policies to encourage the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Many of these countries have substantial deployment targets that will drive demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency for years to come.

The Initiative was developed through the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee (TPCC) Working Group on Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, which includes representatives from the Departments of Commerce, Energy, State, and Agriculture, as well as the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative.

The report is available for download on the Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Exporter web portal.

Conservation Innovation Grant

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) into NRCS policy, technical manuals, guides, and references or to the private sector. CIG does not fund research projects. Projects intended to formulate hypothesis do not qualify. CIG is to apply proven technology which has been shown to work previously. It is a vehicle to stimulate the development and adoption of conservation approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a likelihood of success, and to be candidates for eventual technology transfer or institutionalization. CIG promotes sharing of skills, knowledge, technologies, and facilities among communities, governments, and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users. CIG funds projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations.

Link to Full Announcement

NRCS Homepage

Environmental Engineering

Expected Number of Awards: 44
Estimated Total Program Funding: $9,400,000
Award Floor: $300,000
In broadest terms, the field of Environmental Engineering is concerned with understanding the impacts of human activities on the public health, natural environmental quality, and natural resources and with developing the scientific basis for identifying, analyzing, solving, mitigating, or managing environmental problems caused by human activities.

The goal of this program is to encourage transformative research which applies scientific principles to minimize solid, liquid, and gaseous discharges into land, inland and coastal waters, and air that result from human activity, and to evaluate adverse impacts of these discharges on human health and environmental quality. The program fosters cutting-edge scientific research based on fundamental science for identifying, evaluating, and developing new methods and technologies for assessing the waste assimilative capacity of the natural environment and for removing or reducing conventional and emerging contaminants from polluted air, water and soils.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Program Desccription 11-1440

Environmental Sustainability

This program supports engineering research that seeks to balance society's need to provide ecological protection and maintain stable economic conditions. There are four principal general research areas which are supported, but others can be proposed: * Industrial Ecology * Green Engineering * Ecological Engineering * Earth Systems

All proposed research should be driven by engineering principles, and be presented explicitly in an environmental sustainability context. Proposals should include involvement in engineering research of at least one graduate student, as well as undergraduates. Incorporation of aspects of social, behavioral, and economic sciences is welcomed.The duration of unsolicited awards is generally one to three years. The average annual award size for the program is $100,000. Any proposal received outside the announced dates will be returned without review.The duration of CAREER awards is five years. The submission deadline for Engineering CAREER proposals is in July every year. Please see the following URL for more information: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08051/nsf08051.jsp.Proposals for Conferences, Workshops, and Supplements may be submitted at any time, but must be discussed with the program director before submission.Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) and EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER) replace the SGER program. Please note that proposals of these types must be discussed with the program director before submission. Further details are available in the PAPPG download, available below. Please refer to the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG), January 2009, (NSF 09-1) when you prepare your proposal.

Link to Full Announcement

NSF Program Description 09-7643

PA Green Energy Works! Wind

REMINDER: Green Energy Works applications due in December

PA Green Energy Works! Wind is a one-time competitive grant program. Projects will be
competitively reviewed and evaluated based on criteria outlined in the Application Evaluation
Criteria section of this guidance document. DEP reserves the right to decline applications based
on technical deficiencies, lack of financial assurance, or other reasons impacting the eligibility of
the project at the discretion of the agency. Work funded under this grant must be completed prior to April 30, 2012. Applicants must certify in their application a project schedule in accordance with these time constraints.

Eligible applicants include
• Business – corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorship, limited liability company, business
trust, or other legal business entities
• Non-Profit Corporations – Incorporated not for profit organizations that maintain 501(c)(3)
status with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is that is also registered with the PA Bureau
of Charitable Organizations
• Universities – Colleges or Universities located within Pennsylvania
• An Economic Development Organization – a nonprofit corporation or association whose
purpose is the enhancement of economic conditions in their community.
• A Political Subdivision – A Pennsylvania municipality or county
• A Municipal Electric Utility
• A Municipal Authority

Eligible Wind projects include, but are not limited to
• Purchase and installation of equipment used to produce wind generated energy for projects of
at least 3 MW of nameplate capacity.
• Purchase and installation of equipment used to distribute energy, including interconnection
costs and network upgrades, from a wind energy project of at least 3 MW of nameplate
capacity.

$80M Research Center

[From Philanthropy News Digest]

David and Patricia Atkinson have pledged $80 million to Cornell University to endow the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future, a research center created in 2007 to study problems related to energy, the environment, and economic development, the Wall Street Journal reports.

"The environment, energy, and economic development are heavily interrelated; problems of sustainability can only be addressed with a multidisciplinary approach," said David Atkinson, who retired in 1992 as general partner of Philadelphia-based investment counseling firm Miller, Anderson, & Sherrerd LLP. "As the pressures of rapid population growth take hold, to avoid a crisis it's important to address issues of sustainability preemptively."

To that end, Atkinson initially funded the center as a pilot program that brought together 220 faculty fellows from 55 departments to engage in research and participate in dozens of topical discussions and forums. Through a fund it created, the center has awarded $7 million to engineers, chemists, and professors working on a range of projects, including the creation of solar capture technologies and methods of converting algae into biofuel. Recipients of that funding have been able to obtain an additional $55 million from outside funders.

"Mr. Atkinson's approach to the center follows the true scientific method: testing a hypothesis with a pilot grant, showing a substantial return, and increasing the funding," said Cornell president David Skorton. "This is truly active philanthropy."

“Record Gift to Cornell to Fund Research.” Wall Street Journal 10/28/10.

Energy efficiency retrofits

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has announced $2.7 million in grants through a national competition designed to support replicable approaches for increasing the number and depth of energy efficiency retrofits in existing buildings.

Nine organizations were awarded grants ranging from $135,269 to $350,000 to address barriers that prevent building owners, property mangers, leaders, and investors from undertaking and financing retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, including the "split incentive" problem in which tenants rather than landlords benefit from energy-efficiency improvements financed by property owners as well as a lack of capital for upfront costs. To address these and other barriers, recipients will work to develop and test a range of financing models, marketing strategies, and tools for assessing energy use and retrofit options.

Buildings account for roughly 40 percent of the nation's energy use and represent the single largest source of carbon dioxide emissions. Despite the potential for significant energy savings and financial benefits, numerous barriers impede energy efficiency retrofits in both the residential and commercial real estate sectors.

In addition, DDCF recently awarded grants of $600,000 and $550,000 to the Natural Resources Defense Council and New Buildings Institute, respectively, to address barriers to energy-efficiency retrofits in the commercial real estate sector through its Environment program. The recent grants bring the total amount awarded by DDCF in 2010 for improving energy efficiency in buildings to $3.8 million.

For a complete list of Environment Program grants made by the foundation, visit the DDCF Web site.

“Hundreds of Nonprofits Respond to National Competition Soliciting Scalable Ideas for Propelling Energy Efficiency Retrofits of Buildings Across U.S.” Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Press Release 10/25/10.

October 28 Webinar: Green Jobs Training - Funding, Implementing, and Collaborating

Oct 25, 2010

The U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau has held a series of webinars designed for the workforce community, designed to offer information and an exchange of ideas to better connect women with green jobs and green jobs training. This area of workforce development is an important part of preparing our nation to be competitive in the new economy. The teleconferences have been geared towards workforce professionals, career advisors, and educators, although interested women are welcome to participate as well.

The seventh and final teleconference in this series, "Green Jobs Training: Funding, Implementing, and Collaborating" will take place on October 28, 2010, from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT.

During this concluding teleconference, the speakers will present strategies for partnering and leveraging resources to build capacity and support for green jobs training programs, as well as tips on designing and delivering an effective program. In addition, there will be a review of federal funds invested in promoting green economy growth and green jobs.

Speakers include:

• Sara Manzano-Díaz, Women's Bureau, Director
  
• Tiffany Bluemle, Vermont Works for Women, Executive Director
  
• Teresa Kittridge, Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace, Executive Director
  
• Representative of U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
  

Participation is limited, so please register early! Please visit the Women's Bureau website for more information or register here.

SEED Center Update

The American Association of Community Colleges has passed along this update for the workforce community on the Sustainability Education & Economic Development (SEED) initiative and resource center.

The clean energy and green economy present an unprecedented opportunity to boost American prosperity. Billions of dollars stand to be captured by using energy more wisely, drawing on energy sources that never run out, and developing our world more sustainably. Public and private investment, innovative technologies, government action, and consumer behavior are all driving this new economy. As green jobs continue to grow quickly, community colleges will play a critical role in preparing an educated workforce with the skill sets to fuel and meet industry and public demand.

While a number of community colleges have developed innovative green job training programs, many schools need additional support to extend these opportunities to the nearly 12 million community college students nationwide. The SEED Center is designed to provide the information and national coordination needed for advancing program development and implementation.

The SEED Center offers access to resources such as promising practices and curriculum materials in subject areas including renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, general sustainability, and more.

In the SEED Community, educators exchange information and ideas using a wiki and topical discussion boards. With a simple login, any community college faculty or staff member may use this feature.

As a start, the SEED Center is focusing largely on four key green economy sectors: solar, wind, green building, and energy efficiency. In time, the site plans to build out other areas that are known to be crucial to job growth, such as sustainable agriculture, geothermal, smart grid technology, water and wastewater, and alternative fuels.

Women in Green Jobs Teleconference

DOL's Women's Bureau will host a teleconference focusing on developing green jobs training programs at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 28, the final in a series of seven teleconferences designed to provide workforce professionals, educators, career advisors and others with ideas on how to better connect women with green jobs. Speakers from the Women's Bureau, Vermont Works for Women, Minnesota Renewable Energy Marketplace and the department's Employment and Training Administration will present strategies on leveraging resources for green jobs training, as well as tips on designing an effective program. In addition, there will be a review of federal funds invested in promoting green economy growth and green jobs.

Learn More About the Teleconference

Science to Achieve Results Fellowships

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is offering Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline is November 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM for receipt of paper applications, and November 5, 2010 at 11:59:59 PM ET for submittal of electronic applications to Grants.gov. Subject to availability of funding, the Agency plans to award approximately 105 new fellowships by June 30, 2011. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship.

Fall 2011 EPA Science To Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships For Graduate Environmental Study

DEP Announces Coastal Zone Management Grants to Protect, Preserve Pennsylvania’s Shorelines

HARRISBURG -- Organizations that work to protect and preserve Pennsylvania’s coastal zones along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary will benefit from $1.4 million in Coastal Zone Management Grants that were announced by Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.

The annual grants, largely funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, were awarded to 30 non-profit organizations and governmental agencies in counties that border Pennsylvania’s coastal zones or have a direct impact on water quality in those areas.

The Lake Erie coastal zone is located within Erie County and includes the shorelines of major tributaries. The zone extends to the middle of the lake, to the boundary with Canada and inland 900 feet within the city of Erie.
Since 2003, the Pennsylvania Coastal Resource Management Program has provided more than $8.7 million in funding for coastal zone projects.

Applications for the next round of Coastal Zone Management Grants will be accepted until October 15, 2010. Nonprofit groups, educational institutions, local governments and authorities, and state agencies are eligible to apply.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Coastal Zone.

Erie County
• Asbury Woods Nature Center and Millcreek Township School District - $49,347 to conduct the Leadership in Watershed Education program that develops curriculum and projects for middle school children regarding the importance of coastal watershed conservation.
• Audubon Pennsylvania - $46,000 for the third phase of a study that will research coastal habitat significance of migratory song birds in the Lake Erie Coastal Zone, conduct bird banding during migration periods and report findings to key state agencies on critical habitat and bird populations.
• Earth Action - $45,000 to continue and extend the Earth Action program with a focus on preventing pollution from nonpoint sources, urban runoff and pharmaceutical disposal.
• Erie County Conservation District - $25,000 to implement and track the Coastal Non-Point Pollution Program management measures.
• Erie County Department of Planning - $65,000 for Lake Erie Coastal Zone projects coordination and technical assistance.
• Erie County Department of Planning - $9,000 to assist Lake Erie coastal communities in administering the Bluff Recession and Setback Act of 1980. Nine municipalities have been designated as having bluff recession hazard areas and are required to administer bluff setback ordinances.
• Erie County Department of Public Safety - $4,127 to purchase a dedicated equipment trailer to be employed in emergency situations that threaten vital coastal resources.
• Erie Downtown Partnership - $13,500 to continue building and implementing a program intended to help reduce litter and its impacts on the coastal resources of Lake Erie.
• Erie Times-News In Education, Inc. - $34,680 for a recurring Newspaper In Education weekly page focusing on coastal zone environmental issues.
• Erie-Western PA Port Authority - $75,000 to construct a public fishing pier in Presque Isle Bay located in Liberty Park.
• Northwest Tri-County Unit - $13,543 to operate the Regional Summer School of Excellence program titled “Investigating and Researching Environmental Health Problems.”
• Regional Science Consortium - $43,896 to evaluate historical shoal spawning locations along the Lake Erie coastline, as part of an effort to determine if the habitat can sustain lake sturgeon spawning.
• Regional Science Consortium - $49,946 to evaluate research partitioning habitats between non-game native benthic Lake Erie stream fishes to determine whether Round Gobies are causing detrimental effects on native fish habitat.

Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants Program

Section 104(k)(5)(A)(iii) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to publish guidance to assist applicants in preparing proposals/applications for grants to provide environmental training to facilitate the management, assessment, and cleanup of sites contaminated by solid and hazardous waste.

EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) provides funds to empower States, communities, Tribes and nonprofits to prevent, inventory, assess, clean up and reuse sites where real or perceived contamination exists and does so by working through OSWER's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR); Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery; Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation; Office of Underground Storage Tanks; Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office; Center for Program Analysis; the Innovations, Partnerships, and Communication Office; and Office of Emergency Management.

In 2010, OBLR undertook an effort to more closely collaborate on workforce development and job training with other programs within OSWER to develop a job training cooperative agreement opportunity that includes expanded training in other environmental media outside the traditional scope of just brownfields.

As a result of this collaboration, the former "Brownfields Job Training Grants Program" was expanded and will now be referred to as the "Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants Program."

Through a notice in the September 1, 2010 FEDERAL REGISTER, EPA is soliciting comments on the new FY 2011 Application Guidelines proposed for the Program.

Comments will be accepted through September 13, 2010. EPA expects to release a Request for Applications (RFA) based on these revised application guidelines in October 2010 with an anticipated deadline for submission of applications in January 2011.

The draft application guidelines/RFA can be downloaded at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/. If you do not have Internet access and require hard copies of the draft guidelines, please contact Joseph Bruss at (202) 566-2772. Please send any comments to Joseph Bruss no later than September 13, 2010.

Department of Energy Extends Renewable Energy Loan Guarantee Solicitation

WASHINGTON, DC - Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department of Energy is extending the application deadline for the July 2009 energy efficiency, renewable energy and advanced transmission and distribution technologies solicitation. The Round 8, Part 1 application deadline is October 5, 2010. This gives companies an additional six weeks to apply for a loan guarantee under Section 1703, and if qualified, under Section 1705, provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Round 8 is intended to give companies additional time to develop and submit Part I applications. The Round 8 Part II application deadline is December 31, 2010. The application deadline of August 24, 2010 for Round 7 Part I applications remains the same.

For more information on this program, please visit the Loan Guarantee Program Office.

Disney Conservation Fund

[From Philanthropy News Digest] Part of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund manages an annual cash awards program to support efforts to study and protect the world's wildlife and ecosystems that also involve community participation and address human needs. Over the past decade, DWCF has provided a total of more than $15 million for the study of wildlife, protection of habitats, land management plans, community conservation, and education. Along with a focus on species and habitat conservation science, DWCF encourages programs that engage local residents and benefit both human and animal communities.

The fund's interests are in furthering the support of established conservation programs — particularly those long-term in nature — that contain a strong in situ component (scientific field studies); promote education, awareness, and training in country (education programs); and demonstrate a marked benefit to in-country participants, habitats, and species by working with local communities, regional/national non-governmental organizations, and government agencies that directly impact the initiative.

While the fund encourages global projects, it directs funding only to organizations that have U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Non-governmental organizations outside the U.S. can apply in partnership with a U.S. organization. Funding requests of up to $25,000 each are allowed, but the grantee's overall budget may be larger and incorporate several financial partners.

Application is by invitation only. Emails of inquiry are accepted on an ongoing basis. The fund recommends that inquiries be submitted no later than January 1, 2011 to be considered for an invitation to apply. Invited applications will be due by January 25, 2011. Visit the fund Web site for program guidelines and procedures.

Green Jobs Award / Capital Access Program

[From Green For All website] Green For All has partnered with SJF Advisory Services to launch the inaugural Green Jobs Award. The goal of this Award is to identify, recognize, and promote private companies that are leaders in creating quality green jobs. By honoring private businesses that contribute to both the economy and the environment, we aim to accelerate best practices in sustainable business, including creating an industry-standard definition for the term "green job."

If you own a profitable green business, please apply now! Not only will winners be recognized through a variety of media outlets, they will also be rewarded with free professional services.

We are also pleased to announce the formation of a Capital Access Program Twitter feed. This feed will focus exclusively on providing the type of information the green business community needs.

Tweets from http://twitter.com/greenforallBiz will have links to informative articles, updates on relevant policies, notifications about useful events, and tips on how to grow a sustainable enterprise. If you have a Twitter account and care about green business issues, please consider following us!

Best,
Nick Flores
Program Manager, Capital Access Program

Market-based energy efficiency grants

The Climate Protection Partnerships Division seeks proposals from eligible entities to advance national, regional, state, and local energy efficiency programming by utilizing market-based approaches to program design and delivery by fostering information exchange on policies that are supportive of these approaches. Proposals must demonstrate the potential to create a sustainable change in the market for energy efficient products, services, and best practices. Proposed activities must address, but are not limited to, one or more of the following objectives:
Improving energy performance in the residential and commercial/government market through increased use of high-efficiency products;
Increasing supply/market share for high efficiency products through retail, internet sales (e-tail), and other sales outlets;
Delivering improved energy performance to existing commercial buildings (e.g., offices, schools, hotels, hospitals, supermarkets, datacenters, etc.) through technology or practice;
Promoting improved energy performance in the commercial new construction market;
Promote CHP as clean distributed generation in developing state and local energy and environmental strategies;
CHP’s inclusion in energy performance measurement and rating systems to demonstrate with robust measurement and verification, CHP’s contribution as an energy efficiency measure and its capacity to reduce GHG emissions, and;
Providing information and technical assistance at the state or regional level about policies and programs that have been effective in maximizing energy savings and GHG emission reductions within the utility sector.

Small Biz & Energy grants

Washington, DC- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that $30 million in funding from the Recovery Act and FY 2010 budget appropriations will be made available to qualified small businesses to support the commercialization of promising new technologies. Today's funding announcement builds on the Department's existing efforts under the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) to develop near-term clean energy technologies and support American small businesses that will play an important role in building the clean energy economy of the future. This is the first time DOE has offered Phase III awards under these small business programs.

Small companies previously awarded Phase II grants through DOE's Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR) or the Small Business Technology Transfer program (STTR) are eligible. Projects that include developed technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and impact on U.S. manufacturing and job creation are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants may receive up to $3 million over 3 years to research, develop and deploy new technologies.

Applications are currently being accepted for the following technology areas of interest:

Biomass Technologies; Buildings Technologies; Fuel Cell Technologies; Geothermal Technologies - High Temperature Tools and Sensors; Industrial Technologies; Solar Technologies - Lowering the Cost of Photovoltaics through Innovative Augmentation;
Vehicle Technologies; Wind Technologies; Fossil Energy; Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability; and Nuclear Energy.

The deadline for submission of applications is August 4, 2010, at 8:00 p.m. EST.
For more information about the DOE FY 2010 Phase III Xlerator Program please visit the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Early Career Research Program

The Office of Science of the Department of Energy hereby invites grant applications for support under the Early Career Research Program in the following program areas: Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); Biological and Environmental Research (BER); Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Fusion Energy Sciences (FES); High Energy Physics (HEP), and Nuclear Physics (NP). The purpose of this program is to support the development of individual research programs of outstanding scientists early in their careers and to stimulate research careers in the areas supported by the DOE Office of Science.

Expected Number of Awards: 50
Estimated Total Program Funding: $6,000,000
Deadline: Nov. 9, 2010

Request for Information - Solutions for Wind Energy Workforce Development

The DOE is requesting input from the public to identify the most significant barriers to the development of the future wind energy workforce, and to identify innovative solutions for developing that workforce by providing future workers with the education and skills necessary to join the wind energy industry. Comments due by July 30, 2010.

Center for Energy Workforce Development

The Center has released this interesting evaluation toolkit that examines ways to measure performance of energy workforce development...

Solar research grants

[From Philanthropy News Digest] The Tucson-based Research Corporation for Science Advancement has announced three-year grants totaling more than $1.3 million to thirteen early career academic researchers working on projects related to solar energy.

The grants are the first made through RCSA's Scialog initiative, a multiyear program designed to accelerate science by funding early career scientists pursuing transformative research on crucial issues of scientific inquiry. This year, the initiative focused on solar energy because of the economic and national security implications associated with a reliable, domestic, and renewable energy supply. The initial grants also were aimed at supporting research with the potential for rapid translational application and development by the private sector, in the hope that federal and private funding will follow suit.

“Scialog Grants for Solar Energy Conversion Awarded to Researchers at 11 Universities.” Research Corporation for Science Advancement Press Release 6/17/10.

Youth Outdoor Employment

NEW YORK — Leaders from the U.S. Departments of Labor, Interior and Agriculture joined in New York City at the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit on June 20 to announce the launch of a $20 million federal grant opportunity and implementation of an initiative designed to help disadvantaged youth prepare for jobs in the outdoors. Through a national grant competition, funds will be awarded to enable ex-offenders ages 18 to 24 to give back to their communities through service and conservation work, while simultaneously acquiring solid employment skills. The grant competition is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2010.

The program was unveiled by Assistant Secretary Jane Oates of the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; the U.S. Department of the Interior's Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget Rhea Suh; and U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman. At the Outdoor Nation Youth Summit, administration officials conducted two "listening sessions" with the 500 youth participants in the event to hear their perspectives on the president's America's Great Outdoors Initiative and the challenges and opportunities for youth engaging in outdoor activities and pursuing employment in green jobs.

"This multi-agency partnership will allow disadvantaged youth to prepare for lucrative green jobs and outdoor careers, including federal employment with public land management agencies," said Oates. "Our joint initiative also will provide support for meaningful service projects on public lands currently experiencing a backlog."

Prior to the grant competition, the three agencies will begin their partnership by implementing a pilot program this summer to increase outdoor employment opportunities for youth. The pilot will target local workforce areas to place youth in Youth Conservation Corps and other summer employment opportunities on public lands. Some of those opportunities will include working at national parks and forests, conservation areas, historic sites and tribal lands.

The partnership provides bureaus at the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture with the ability to engage youth looking to work and learn about outdoor occupations. At the same time, local workforce areas are provided with expanded support for their worksites where youth can receive work experience, supervision and an education about natural resources, conservation and becoming good stewards of public lands and resources. For more information on Department of Labor training programs, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

Weatherization

Pennsylvanians are invited to offer feedback on proposed changes to the state’s weatherization program intended to better serve the public and help residents lower their energy bills, the Department of Community and Economic Development said today. Learn more. View plan changes.

Energy Efficiency Summer Study

ACEEE is proud to announce that Scholarship applications for the Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings are now open and may be submitted online! The Student Scholarship award to the 2010 ACEEE Summer Study will pay for the conference registration fee, housing and meals, and a portion of transportation costs. To be eligible, the applicant must be an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited college or university whose course work is related to energy/energy efficiency, climate change, environmental science, or a related field of study, and who is considering a career in energy/energy efficiency. The Student Scholarship to Summer Study is supported by ICF International and ACEEE staff.

The Scholarships will be chosen by the ACEEE Scholarship Committee. Please complete the application form below by June 2, 2010.

Students selected as finalists will be asked to send proof of Student Identification or university/college transcripts during the period of June 16-23, 2010. Notification letters about the status of your Scholarship Application will also be sent the week of June 16-23, 2010. The 2010 ACEEE Student Scholarship winners will be notified by July 1, 2010.

Energy Efficiency in Buildings awards

ACEEE is proud to announce that nominations for the Champions of Energy Efficiency in Buildings awards are now open and may be submitted online! The awards will be presented at the 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings and will recognize leadership and accomplishment in the energy efficiency field. Winners will be selected based on demonstrated excellence in the following categories:

Research and Development (R&D): Excellence in research and development including baseline or background research, as well as R&D of products and practices.

Energy Policy: Excellence in energy policy including writing, educating, promoting, or supporting energy efficiency in energy policy, at the federal, state, or local level.

Implementation and Deployment: Effective design and implementation, including achievement of significant impacts on energy use.

Leadership: Exceptional personal leadership demonstrated in the development, implementation, or growth of important energy efficiency initiatives.

Nominations will be made by peers and the final awards will be chosen by the ACEEE Board of Directors Awards Committee.The 2010 Champions awards will be presented at the 2010 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings in Pacific Grove, California scheduled for August 15-20, 2010 at the Asilomar Conference Center. The "Buildings" Summer Study is the preeminent energy efficiency conference, and draws leading academics, energy efficiency professionals, government representatives, researchers, advocates for energy efficiency, and policymakers.

Please complete the nomination form below by June 1, 2010. We value your input and appreciate you taking the time to nominate the best leaders in our community. Notification letters about the status of your Award nomination will be sent the week of July 19-23, 2010.

Conservation Innovation Grants

The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production. CIG projects are expected to lead to the transfer of conservation technologies, management systems, and innovative approaches (such as market-based systems) into NRCS policy, technical manuals, guides, and references or to the private sector. CIG does not fund research projects. Projects intended to formulate hypothesis do not qualify. CIG is to apply proven technology which has been shown to work previously. It is a vehicle to stimulate the development and adoption of conservation approaches or technologies that have been studied sufficiently to indicate a likelihood of success, and to be candidates for eventual technology transfer or institutionalization. CIG promotes sharing of skills, knowledge, technologies, and facilities among communities, governments, and other institutions to ensure that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users. CIG funds projects targeting innovative on-the-ground conservation, including pilot projects and field demonstrations.