Alongside Energy Secretary Granholm, Governor Shapiro, Casey hosts event in Westmoreland County to announce new federal resources to spur growth in PA energy communities
Rapid Response Team will help connect and coordinate local PA stakeholders with federal resources to support energy workers and communities
In addition to announcement, Casey hosted panels for hundreds of Pennsylvania stakeholders to learn how to best compete for federal funding opportunities
Casey also announced 19 Appalachian Regional Commission grants for job training, small business development in Appalachia, an encapsulation of the types of economic opportunities that will be available to PA energy communities
Announcements consistent with Casey speech on future of American workers and economy; follow other major investments in regional economy
Casey: “These investments…will help the Commonwealth take control of our future and become the energy powerhouse we know we can be”
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced new federal initiatives to support economic revitalization and workforce development for Pennsylvania energy communities and workers. With the announcement of a Rapid Response Team, Pennsylvania energy communities will be able to access federal resources to train workers and invest in an energy economy of the future more easily. The announcement was followed by panels by Administration and state officials on how local Pennsylvania communities can better compete for federal investments. Senator Casey was joined by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, and Biden Administration officials to tout the Rapid Response Team announcement.
As an example of the types of investments Pennsylvania communities are eligible for, Casey announced 19 Appalachian Regional Commission POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) grants for high-speed internet expansion, workforce training, small business development, and other regional development purposes. Also highlighted was $750,000 in philanthropic support—which Senator Casey advocated for—for the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) Career Center based in Greene County.
“Pennsylvania energy communities have a storied tradition of powering our Nation since the Industrial Revolution. That’s what makes them uniquely qualified for new energy jobs,” said Senator Casey. “These investments, along with my energy communities tax credit and Pennsylvania’s new hydrogen hubs, will help the Commonwealth take control of our future and become the energy powerhouse we know we can be.”
The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) Rapid Response Team will assist Pennsylvania organizations, businesses, and local governments in coordinating federal resources they need to position the Commonwealth as a national leader in next-generation energy. The Energy Communities IWG is pursuing a whole-of-government approach to create good-paying union jobs, spur economic revitalization, remediate environmental degradation and support energy workers in coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities across the country.
Senator Casey has consistently fought to deliver jobs, manufacturing, and investments back to Pennsylvania. In 2021, Casey worked to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to bring billions of dollars to Pennsylvania to build out clean energy infrastructure, improve roads and bridges, expand high-speed internet access, and more, all while creating good-paying jobs. Passed in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act also made major investments in new energy manufacturing, including solar panels, wind turbines, and clean battery systems. Casey fought to include strict domestic content standards to ensure projects use 100% American-made steel and iron.
In June, Senator Casey delivered a rousing speech to union workers and business leaders in Pittsburgh to outline his vision for the United States to take control of its economic future by investing in American workers and manufacturing, as well as stopping investments in national security sectors from going to countries of concern, including China. In July, the Senate overwhelmingly passed Senator Casey’s legislation to screen those investments by a vote of 91-6. Building on Casey’s efforts, the Biden Administration issued an executive order addressing the issue weeks later.
Last week, Casey announced the launch of the two hydrogen hubs, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: the Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub (MACH2), based in Southeastern Pennsylvania, and the Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) serving Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. These hubs will bring jobs, economic growth, and energy innovation to the Mid-Atlantic and the Appalachian Basin.
