Sec. 2. Energy workforce development
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Subject to the availability of appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Education, shall establish and carry out a comprehensive, nationwide program to improve education and training for occupations in energy-related industries to increase the number of skilled workers trained for such occupations. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy may provide— financial assistance awards, technical assistance, and other assistance the Secretary determines appropriate, to educational institutions and covered organizations and programs, including those serving unemployed energy workers; and eligible opportunities at the Department of Energy, including at the Department of Energy national laboratories.
The Secretary of Energy may only provide financial assistance for training programs under paragraph (1)(A) that have been approved by the Secretary of Labor. Subject to subsection (c), the Secretary of Energy shall distribute assistance described in paragraph
(1)in a manner proportional to the needs of energy-related industries and demand for occupations in energy-related industries, consistent with information developed under subsection (e). In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall— prioritize the education and training of individuals from disadvantaged communities for in-demand occupations in energy-related industries, including by providing eligible opportunities and employment at the Department of Energy, including at the Department of Energy national laboratories; and in providing research grants and technical assistance to educational institutions, give priority to minority-serving institutions. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall— collaborate with— State workforce development boards and local workforce development boards, to maximize program efficiency; educational institutions and covered organizations and programs; energy-related industries and covered organizations and programs to increase the opportunities for, and enrollment of, students and other candidates, including students of minority-serving institutions and unemployed energy workers, to participate in industry eligible opportunities; and Federal-State Regional Commissions, including the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, the Denali Commission, the Northern Border Regional Commission, and the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission; and conduct outreach activities to— encourage individuals from disadvantaged communities and unemployed energy workers to enter into the STEM fields; and encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, and partnerships among energy-related industries, and covered organizations and programs, that provide effective training programs for in-demand occupations in energy-related industries and educational institutions that seek to establish these types of programs in order to share best practices and approaches that best suit local, State, and national needs. In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy, in collaboration with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the Bureau of the Census, and energy-related industries, shall establish a publicly accessible clearinghouse to— develop, maintain, and update information and other resources, by State and by region, on— the current and future workforce needs of energy-related industries, and occupations in energy-related industries, including identification of in-demand occupations in energy-related industries; and training programs for such in-demand occupations (including training programs provided by a provider of training services on any list described in section 122(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3152(d) )), which meet the guidelines prescribed under paragraph (3); and act as a resource for educational institutions and covered organizations and programs that would like to develop and implement the training programs described in subparagraph (A)(ii). In a case in which the Secretary of Energy determines that the modification of an existing online resource of the Department of Labor or the Department of Education would be an efficient and effective means of carrying out the purposes described in subparagraphs
(A)and
(B)of paragraph (1), the Secretary of Energy may— request that the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary of Education, as appropriate, make such modification; and if such modification is made, elect not to establish the clearinghouse under paragraph (1). In establishing and maintaining the clearinghouse under paragraph
(1)or modifying the online resource under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of Energy shall, to the greatest extent practicable, utilize existing resources and information made available to the Secretary by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, and the Director of the Bureau of the Census. The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall prescribe guidelines for the training programs described in paragraph (1)(A)(ii), which shall be similar to the requirements for providers of training services described in section 122(b) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3152(b) ). The Secretary of Energy shall annually publish, on a publicly accessible website of the Department of Energy, a report on the information and other resources developed, maintained, and updated on the clearinghouse established under paragraph
(1)or the online resource modified under paragraph (2)(A). In carrying out the program established under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the National Science Foundation, shall develop voluntary guidelines or best practices for educational institutions to help provide students with the skills necessary for in-demand occupations in energy-related industries, including in-demand occupations in— the energy efficiency industry, including in-demand occupations in energy efficiency (including architecture, design, and construction of new energy efficient buildings), conservation, weatherization, retrofitting, inspecting, auditing, and software development; the renewable energy industry, including in-demand occupations in the development, engineering, manufacturing, and production of energy from renewable energy sources (such as solar, hydropower, wind, and geothermal energy); the community energy resiliency industry, including in-demand occupations in the installation of rooftop solar, in battery storage, and in microgrid technologies; the fuel cell and hydrogen energy industry; the advanced automotive technology industry, including in-demand occupations relating to electric vehicle batteries, connectivity and automation, and advanced combustion engines; the manufacturing industry, including in-demand occupations as operations technicians, in operations and design in additive manufacturing, 3–D printing, and advanced composites and advanced aluminum and other metal alloys, and in industrial energy efficiency management systems, including power electronics, and other innovative technologies; the chemical manufacturing industry, including in-demand occupations in construction (such as welders, pipefitters, and tool and die makers), as instrument and electrical technicians, machinists, chemical process operators, engineers, quality and safety professionals, and reliability engineers; the electric utility and gas utility industries, including in-demand occupations in smart grid technology, cybersecurity management, and the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and natural gas, such as electricians and utility dispatchers, technicians, operators, lineworkers, engineers, scientists, and information technology specialists; the alternative fuels industry, including in-demand occupations in biofuel and bioproducts development and production; the pipeline industry, including in-demand occupations in pipeline construction and maintenance and occupations as engineers and technical advisors; the nuclear energy industry, including in-demand occupations as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, and security personnel; the oil and gas industry, including in-demand occupations as scientists, engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical engineers, and geologists; and the coal industry, including in-demand occupations as coal miners, engineers, developers and manufacturers of state-of-the-art coal facilities, technology vendors, coal transportation workers and operators, and mining equipment vendors. The Secretary of Energy shall solicit input from energy-related industries in developing guidelines or best practices under paragraph (1). The guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph
(1)shall include grade-specific guidelines for elementary schools and secondary schools for teaching energy efficiency technology, architecture, design, and construction of new energy-efficient buildings and building energy retrofits, manufacturing efficiency technology, community energy resiliency, and conservation initiatives. The guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph
(1)shall promote STEM education in educational institutions as it relates to in-demand occupations in energy-related industries listed under such paragraph. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to authorize the Secretary of Energy or any other officer or employee of the Federal Government to require or coerce a State or educational institution to adopt or carry out the guidelines or best practices developed under paragraph (1). If the Secretary of Energy has approved a strategy developed by the 21st Century Energy Workforce Advisory Board established under section 40211 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 42 U.S.C. 18744 ), the Secretary shall, to the extent the Secretary determines practicable and appropriate, carry out the program established under subsection
(a)in accordance with such strategy. To the extent practicable, the Secretary of Energy shall, to avoid duplication of efforts, carry out the Equity in Energy Initiative of the Department of Energy, the Minority Educational Institution Student Partnership Program of the Department of Energy, and any other program of the Department of Energy that the Secretary determines appropriate, through the program established under subsection (a). There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
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