NEW Energy Idea Contest

The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP)and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA (BFTP) announce their sponsorship of the NEW Energy Idea Contest. The grand prize of $35,000 will be awarded to either an entrepreneur or one early-stage, pre-revenue company in the process of developing a new energy or alternative energy related product/process improvement.

Prize money for the contest is being provided by Ben Franklin and PennTAP through funding made by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To qualify, contestants must have a viable, new energy/alternative energy related product or process improvement idea and cannot have received BFTP funding in the past. The deadline for applications is April 15, 2010.

The Green Cleanup Symposium

PHILADELPHA-- Decision-makers from government, private industry and academia will convene on February 10-11 to discuss the latest developments in green cleanup, reuse technologies and techniques at one of our nation’s first engineering schools, Drexel University.

The Green Cleanup Symposium: Integrating Green Approaches for Site Cleanup and Sustainable Reuse, hosted by Drexel in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will comprise an intensive, two-day series of moderated discussions highlighting topics including:

1. The ABC’s of sustainable reuse;
2. Cleaning up properties while applying green practices;
3. Cutting edge analysis tools for planning long-term cleanups, and
4. Ecological revitalization at contaminated properties.

In addition to meeting with federal, state and local environmental officials, participants will hear first-hand from those in the fields of cleanup, redevelopment, and design about their experiences, both the success stories and lessons-learned, on cleaning and revitalizing former contaminated properties while applying green principles.

Space is still available. Go to
http://www.drexel.edu/academics/coe/cities/greencleanupsymposium.html
to learn more about the wide array of topics being covered, and a list of presenters and organizations being represented.

$9.5 Million for PA Solar Projects Awarded

Eight large-scale solar projects in Pennsylvania that will create jobs while generating clean energy will receive a substantial boost from $9.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, Governor Edward G. Rendell announced on January 20, 2010. The Green Energy Works! Solar program is one of four competitive grant opportunities that use green jobs to create green energy and to stimulate economic development. Biogas, combined heat and power and wind are the other three. Edinboro University was among the grantees. For more details, see the full press release.

Collaboration for Green Jobs Creation in Energy Efficiency

The organization Green For All will host a webinar on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 to discuss the Sustainable Works project that fosters the creation of green jobs through initiatives such as apprenticeships and community organizing. To attend the webinar, register here.

U.S. EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

The EPA has announced the Great Lakes Restorative Initiative grant will be used to competitively provide funding to eligible entities to address the most significant Great Lakes ecosystem problems and efforts in five major focus areas:
• Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern, including pollution prevention and cleanup of the most polluted areas in the Great Lakes.
• Invasive Species, including efforts to institute a “zero tolerance policy” toward new invasions.
• Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution, including a targeted geographic focus on high priority watersheds and reducing polluted runoff from urban, suburban and, agricultural sources.
• Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration, including bringing wetlands and other habitat back to life, and the first-ever comprehensive assessment of the entire 530,000 acres of Great Lakes coastal wetlands for the purpose of strategically targeting restoration and protection efforts in a science-based manner.
• Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication and Partnerships,
including the implementation of goal- and results-based accountability measures, learning initiatives, outreach and strategic partnerships.

State pollution control agencies, interstate agencies, Tribes, colleges, universities, and other public or non-profit private agencies, institutions, and organizations are eligible to apply for funding under this RFP; individuals and “for-profit” organizations are not eligible. Applications are due January 29, 2010.

Green Jobs Community of Practice released

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has launched the Green Jobs Community of Practice (CoP). This on-line virtual community is available through ETA's knowledge sharing and learning platform -- Workforce3One.org. The Green Jobs CoP will serve three primary purposes:

* Provide a platform for workforce professionals and green job thought leaders to discuss and share promising practices to create partnerships for Green Job Workforce Solutions and leverage Recovery Act investments. The Green Jobs CoP is unique in that it will provide an interactive platform and information that is explicitly targeted to workforce professionals, particularly those at the State and Workforce Investment Board levels, and their role in building a green economy.

* Serve as the primary platform for providing technical assistance in the form of Webinars, discussion boards and other on-line resources to green jobs grantees, including the recipients of upcoming SGAs.

* Create a central communications platform for all other federal agency workforce professionals who focus on green jobs and the workforce system's role in transforming the US economy.

$100 million awarded for green jobs

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis today announced nearly $100 million in green jobs training grants, as authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants will support job training programs to help dislocated workers and others, including veterans, women, African Americans and Latinos, find jobs in expanding green industries and related occupations. Approximately $28 million of the total funds will support projects in communities impacted by auto industry restructuring. The full list of awardees is available in the US Department of Labor press release here: http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20091526.htm.