Energy Conservation Corps

(a)

Findings

The Congress finds the following: (1)The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established in 1933 was one of the singularly successful Federal programs in American history. (2)The CCC provided work and vocational training for 3,500,000 unemployed young Americans through projects designed to develop and conserve the country’s natural resources and build and maintain its infrastructure. (3)Projects included environmental clean up, wild fire prevention, erosion control, vegetation mapping, invasive species removal, reforestation, recreational facility construction, trail building, swamp drainage, flood relief, and disaster response. (4)This extensive development and improvement of public lands by the CCC was in large part responsible for the modern national and State park systems. (5)Today, an estimated 3,800,000 18–24 year olds, roughly 15 percent of all young adults, are neither employed nor in school. Since 2000 alone, the ranks of these nonengaged young adults have grown by 700,000, a 19 percent increase. (6)High school dropouts are at high risk of incarceration. Approximately 16 percent of all young men, ages 18–24, without a high school degree or GED are either incarcerated or on parole at any point in time. According to a 2002 Report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2,000,000 people are incarcerated at an average annual cost of $20,000 per inmate—for a total cost of $40,000,000,000 per year. (7)In testimony before the House Education and the Workforce Committee in 2005, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said that dropouts cost our Nation more than $260 billion in lost wages, lost taxes, and lost productivity over their lifetimes. (8)Energy inefficiencies account for at least 50 percent of all United States energy use. (9)According to the World Watch Institute, United States electricity use could be reduced by 70 percent through efficiency gains alone. (10)Estimates indicate that while the average United States household’s energy costs are equal to 7 percent of household income, low-income households spend 17 percent of their household earnings on energy. (11)In a manner similar to the CCC of the 1930s, disconnected young people can be mobilized to retrofit, weatherize, and otherwise improve the energy efficiency of residential and public facilities that account for more than 40 percent of carbon emissions. (12)The rehabilitation, renovation, and retrofitting of these facilities by disconnected youth engaged in public service benefit the disconnected youth, the facility resident and owners, the communities in which they are located, as well as the environment as shared by all. (13)Service and conservation corps, by providing educational and training opportunities to disconnected youth through national and community service projects, have an established record of administering such projects. (b)

Purpose

It is the purpose of this section— (1)to create an Energy Conservation Corps that will provide educational and economic opportunities to disadvantaged and disconnected youth by engaging them in team-based service projects designed to promote and improve the energy conservation and efficiency of residential and public buildings and spaces; and (2)through the Energy Conservation Corps, to stimulate interest among young people in stewardship of the environment and natural resources and lifelong service to their communities and the United States. (c)

Establishment of the energy conservation corps

(1)

In general

The Energy Conservation Corps is hereby established in the Department of Energy. (2)

Age and background

The Energy Conservation Corps shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, at least 50 percent of whom come from disadvantaged or disconnected backgrounds. (3)

Civil service

Individuals may be enrolled in the Energy Conservation Corps without regard to the civil service and classification laws, rules, or regulations of the United States. (4)

Duration

Individuals may be enrolled in the Energy Conservation Corps for up to 24 months. (5)

Opportunities

Energy Conservation Corps will provide such individuals with opportunities to further their education, through programs designed to help them obtain a high school diploma, GED, job training, professional certificate, or access to post-secondary education. (6)

Projects

Energy Conservation Corps will engage such individuals in service projects, primarily team-based, designed to increase energy efficiency and improve natural resources use. (d)

Eligible applicants

(1)

Supporting organizations

The Secretary shall accept applications from qualified service and conservation corps, and nonprofit organizations, units of State, county, and local government, and institutions of higher education for the purpose of establishing, operating, and supporting Corps. (2)

Qualifications

Applicants shall demonstrate an ability to— (A)provide Corpsmembers with access to programs to obtain a high school diploma or GED; and (B)create pathways for Corpsmembers to postsecondary education or a credential or further job training and ultimately, employment. (3)

Cost per member

Upon receipt of such information as the Secretary may reasonably require, the Secretary may set a cost per member that takes into account the educational, social, and family services disconnected young people who are out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or have had contact with the justice system may require. (4)

Flexibility

The Secretary shall provide flexibility in recruitment and retention outcomes to grantees, depending on Corpsmember demographics, in light of the fact that disconnected young people are often more difficult to recruit and retain. (5)

Alternative success measurement

The Secretary shall allow for alternative measurements of success such as the use of growth models. (6)

Training and technical assistance

The Secretary shall ensure that the Energy Conservation Corps has adequate access to relevant training and technical assistance services to be provided by at least one national nonprofit organization with a demonstrated record of experience in promoting and disseminating effective practices among service and conservation corps. (e)

Eligible corpsmembers

(1)

Age

Youth enrolled in the Energy Conservation Corps shall be between the ages of 16 and 25. (2)

Assurances

Such youth shall be able to provide assurances that they did not withdraw from school for the purpose of participating in the program. (3)

Preference

Preference in recruitment shall be given to disadvantaged or disconnected young people. (f)

Eligible projects

The Secretary shall accept applications for service projects related to energy and resource conservation and rural development including, but not limited to— (1)building, retrofitting, and weatherizing residential and public facilities to meet appropriate standards; (2)conducting energy assessments and providing and implementing solutions for low-income homeowners and communities; (3)providing education, training, and support regarding energy efficiency, resource conservation, and reuse to low-income homeowners and communities; (4)installing or constructing renewable energy improvements (such as wind, wave, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy sources); and (5)building and maintaining alternative transportation routes. (g)

Preference for certain projects

In selecting appropriate service projects to be carried out under this section, the Secretary shall give a preference to those projects that— (1)provide development, training, and practical work experience for young individuals in important career fields relating to energy efficiency, and act as preparation for additional education or permanent employment for young adults and which will provide long-term benefits to the public; (2)instill in the participant a work ethic and a sense of public service; (3)will be labor intensive; (4)can be planned and initiated promptly; and (5)will provide academic, experiential, or community education opportunities. (h)

Consistency

Each appropriate service project carried out under this section shall be consistent with the provisions of law and policies relating to the management and administration of such projects, facilities, or resources, with all other applicable provisions of law, and with all management, operational, and other plans and documents which govern the administration of such projects, facilities, or resources. (i)

Nondisplacement

The nondisplacement requirements of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 shall be applicable to all activities carried out under this section by a qualified corps. (j)

Donations

The Secretary is authorized to accept donations of funds, services, facilities, materials, or equipment for the purposes of operating the Energy Conservation Corps and carrying out appropriate service projects by the Corps. (k)

Definitions

For purposes of this section: (1)

Disadvantaged youth

The term disadvantaged youth means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who, because of certain characteristics, circumstances, experiences, or insufficiencies, encounter financial, legal, social, educational, emotional or health problems and may have significant difficulties growing into adults who are responsible citizens, productive workers, involved members of communities. (2)

Disconnected youth

The term disconnected youth means individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who are out of school, out of work, exiting foster care, or formerly court-involved or incarcerated. (3)

Qualified service and conservation corps

The term qualified service and conservation corps means any program established by a State or local government or by a nonprofit organization that— (A)is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, in an infrastructure, housing, or transportation setting; (B)gives participants a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training, and support services; and (C)provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their communities and the United States. (4)

Secretary

The term Secretary means to the Secretary of Energy. (l)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 through 2013 for carrying out this section.