“To develop career and technical education programs of study and facilities in the areas of renewable energy.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, to award competitive grants to eligible partnerships for developing or expanding replicable programs of study focused on emerging careers in covered fields (i.e., clean energy). Eligible partnerships must include at least one local educational agency (or area career and technical education school or educational service agency), one postsecondary institution, and community representatives such as business owners, covered-field industry representatives, and labor organizations; grant applications must describe the partnership, program components, replicability and dissemination, accessibility for disadvantaged and low-performing students, labor market needs, applied learning, and labor consultations, with priority for programs using online or innovative delivery to non-partner institutions and focusing on low-performing students and special populations. Grant funds must be used to develop or expand such programs and disseminate them to non-partner postsecondary institutions or schools.
This section authorizes the Secretary of Energy to award competitive grants, from amounts appropriated under section 6, to eligible entities—including local educational agencies, area career and technical education schools, educational service agencies, postsecondary institutions, or their consortia—to promote (1) energy-efficient career and technical education facilities and (2) renewable energy practices at such facilities. Grant funds may be used to (1) evaluate facility sustainability, energy effectiveness, and renewable energy standards compliance; (2) convene stakeholders, including renewable energy organizations, to develop plans addressing evaluation findings; (3) construct, operate, or improve renewable energy-promoting facilities; (4) purchase energy-efficient machinery, technology, or equipment for career and technical education courses; or (5) share lessons learned with other eligible entities.
This section requires the Secretary to convene a peer review committee to evaluate applications for the grant programs established under sections 2 and 3 and to recommend grantees to the Secretary. Committee members must include (1) career and technical education educators and administrators with experience in energy-efficient facilities and equipment, and (2) business and industry experts who build and work in renewable energy facilities.
This section defines terms for purposes of the Act: (1) incorporating definitions from the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 for area career and technical education school, educational service agency, non-traditional field, program of study, and special population; (2) covered field as the fields of clean energy, renewable energy, energy efficiency, climate change mitigation, or climate change adaptation; (3) local educational agency as a local educational agency eligible for funding under section 131 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006; and (4) postsecondary institution as a postsecondary institution eligible for funding under section 132 of such Act.