ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York Department of State announced the opening of applications for a share of up to $65 million in grant funding for coal-impacted communities across Appalachia, including the Southern Tier.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is making the funding available via a request for proposals for its POWER Initiative designed to support economic diversification in designated Appalachian communities that experienced job losses in mining, power-plant operations, and supply-chain fields related to the coal industry.
“This grant funding will help these communities adapt and better prepare for the economy of tomorrow, in turn making the entire region and state stronger and more sustainable for the future,” Secretary of State Robert J. Rodriguez said in a press release.
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Eligible applicants for the funding include local development districts; Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes; states, counties, cities, or other political subdivisions of a state; higher-education institutions or a consortium of institutions; and public or private nonprofit organizations and associations.
Eligible counties include Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins.
The POWER Initiative (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization Initiative) provides federal resources to leverage entrepreneurship, workforce-development efforts, and infrastructure projects to bolster job training and reemployment opportunities, create jobs in existing or new industries, and attract new sources of private investment in coal-impacted communities.
To date, the initiative has invested $5.5 million into nine projects across the Southern Tier and Western New York making improvements in broadband connectivity and assisting to prepare individuals for careers in entrepreneurship, broadband, tourism, and other sectors.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is accepting letters of intent for implementation grants of up to $1.5 million and planning grants up to $50,000 under POWER until 5 p.m. March 8. Final applications are due April 19. Information about the application process is available online at www.arc.gov/power.
Applications should demonstrate the ability to produce diverse economic-development outcomes, including diversifying commercial and industrial bases of local and regional economies, creating well-paying jobs in new or emerging industries, expanding workforce service and skills training, and attracting new sources of public and private investment. The Commission expects to make award announcements in the fall.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic-development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments. It focuses on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region, including 14 in New York.
