[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2907 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2907
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish and carry out a
comprehensive program to improve education and training for energy-
related jobs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 18, 2014
Ms. Landrieu (for herself and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Energy to establish and carry out a
comprehensive program to improve education and training for energy-
related jobs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``21st Century Energy Workforce
Development Jobs Initiative Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) there are, as of the date of enactment of this Act and
for well into the future, significant opportunities for
African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans throughout the energy
industry at each level of education and training, but raising
the educational achievement for large segments of the upcoming
generation is resource-intensive and will take decades to
achieve, although the payoff of an increased skilled labor pool
would be enormous to society in general and United States
industry in particular;
(2) African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans represent an
important talent pool to help meet the demands of the projected
growth in the energy industry, and workforce training and
education in business, finance, science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics will prove vital in achieving that
growth, as noted by the American Petroleum Institute;
(3) improving minority preparation in science-, technology-
, engineering-, and mathematics-related disciplines at the
primary and secondary school levels is crucial to increasing
the share of minority science-based degree attainment in 4-year
and 2-year programs of higher education, as well as for
increasing attainment of vocational certificates;
(4) the rates at which African-Americans and Hispanic-
Americans attain employment in the energy industry is in part
related to the choice of the field of study for college degrees
(4-year or 2-year) and vocational certificates;
(5) data from the National Center for Education Statistics
suggest that, over the 2001 through 2010 period, African-
American and Hispanic-American students chose and completed 4-
year college degrees applicable to employment in the oil and
natural gas industry at rates \1/5\ and \1/2\, respectively,
the rates of the total student population;
(6) with respect to 2-year associate degrees and
certificates, data from the National Center for Education
Statistics suggest that over the same time period, African-
American and Hispanic-American students chose and completed
programs of study or training applicable to employment in the
oil and natural gas industry at rates roughly \1/10\ above and
\1/3\ below, respectively, the rates of the total student
population;
(7) the American Petroleum Institute projects 525,000 new
job opportunities in the oil and natural gas industry by 2020,
with 166,000, or 31 percent of the jobs, expected to be held by
African-American and Hispanic-American workers, and, with
forward-looking policies, that number could increase to a
projected 811,000 new job opportunities, with more than
285,000, or 35 percent, of the jobs being filled by minorities,
by 2030;
(8) the American Petroleum Institute projects that more
than 50 percent of all jobs created in the oil and natural gas
industry by 2020 would be high-paying skilled and semiskilled
blue collar jobs, with a significant range of opportunities at
the scientific or managerial level requiring a college degree;
(9) the American Petroleum Institute projects that over \1/
2\ of the future potential job growth in the oil and natural
gas industry, approximately 417,000 jobs, is expected in the
Gulf region, with the East region expected to contribute nearly
140,000 job opportunities, the Rockies region nearly 116,000
job opportunities, and the West, Alaska, and Central regions
expected to contribute approximately 138,000 job opportunities
combined;
(10) the National Mining Association reports that the coal
mining industry supported a total of 805,680 jobs in 2011,
including 204,580 direct jobs, including mine workers
(143,520), support activities (7,280), and transportation
(53,780);
(11) broad occupational categories of potential job
creation in the upstream oil and gas industry include--
(A) management, business, and financial jobs;
(B) professional and related jobs;
(C) service jobs;
(D) sales and related jobs;
(E) office and administrative support jobs;
(F) skilled blue collar jobs;
(G) semiskilled blue collar jobs; and
(H) unskilled blue collar jobs;
(12) potential job creation in the upstream oil and gas
industry by selected detailed occupational category include--
(A) derrick, rotary drill, and service unit
operators;
(B) oil and gas roustabouts;
(C) operating engineers and other construction
workers;
(D) equipment operators;
(E) construction laborers;
(F) first-line supervisors or managers of
construction and extraction workers;
(G) heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers;
(H) pump operators and wellhead pumpers;
(I) helpers and other extraction workers;
(J) petroleum engineers; and
(K) secretaries;
(13) the National Petroleum Council estimates that over the
decade beginning on the date of enactment of this Act 30,000
miles of new long-distance natural gas pipelines will be needed
to manage the new sources of shale natural gas supply, while a
2007 Survey of Business Owners of the Census Bureau estimated
that a very small percentage of pipelines were owned by
minority-owned and woman-owned firms compared to the total
owned by nonminority males;
(14) in 2013, the Energy Information Administration
estimated that relatively low natural gas prices, maintained by
growing shale natural gas production, will spur increased use
of natural gas in the industrial and electric power sectors by
16 percent, from 6,800,000,000 cubic feet per year in 2011 to
7,800,000,000,000 cubic feet per year in 2025, while total
consumption of natural gas in the United States will continue
to grow in the electric power sector from 16 percent of
generation in 2000 to 30 percent in 2040, which will lead to a
significant number of new jobs in the natural gas sector;
(15) the Energy Information Administration estimates
natural gas production in the United States will increase
annually, outpacing domestic consumption and making the United
States a net exporter of natural gas by 2019, while continued
low levels of liquefied natural gas imports, combined with
increased United States exports of domestically sourced
liquefied natural gas, position the United States as a net
exporter of liquefied natural gas by 2016, creating an
abundance of new jobs and investment opportunities;
(16) the Energy Information Administration estimates that
coal-fired electricity generation will remain a dominant
resource in the total generation portfolio of the United
States, representing 34 percent of United States baseload
electricity in 2035;
(17) in 2013, a report by the Bloomberg New Energy Finance
research team estimated that clean energy investment is most
likely to grow by 230 percent to a projected $630,000,000,000
annually in 2030, driven by further improvements in the cost-
competitiveness of wind and solar technologies and an increase
in the roll-out of nonintermittent clean energy sources
(including hydropower, geothermal, and biomass) requiring
additional investment in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics education;
(18) a 2013 report by the Bloomberg New Energy Finance
research team estimated that renewable energy projects
(including wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass) will account
for 70 percent of new power generation capacity between 2012
and 2030, and, by 2030, renewable energy will account for \1/2\
of the generation capacity worldwide, up from 28 percent in
2012, requiring additional investment in supporting
infrastructure, including long distance transmission systems,
smart grids, storage, and demand response; and
(19) the Energy Information Administration found that since
2005 renewable energy has garnered more than $1,300,000,000,000
worth of investment and the Energy Information Administration
estimates that global energy consumption will increase by 47
percent between 2010 and 2035, with clean energy providing more
than \1/2\ of that new capacity and attracting up to
$5,900,000,000,000 worth of investment, leading to new
employment and investment opportunities.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(2) Program.--The term ``program'' means the comprehensive
program to improve education and training for energy-related
jobs established under section 4.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(4) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR ENERGY-RELATED JOBS FOR THE 21ST
CENTURY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and carry out a
comprehensive program to improve education and training for energy-
related jobs to increase the number of skilled minorities and women
trained to work in energy-related jobs, including by--
(1) encouraging minority and women students to enter into
the energy STEM fields;
(2) ensuring that the educational system of the United
States is equipping students with the skills, training, and
technical expertise necessary to fill the employment
opportunities vital to managing and operating the energy
industry of the United States; and
(3) providing students and other candidates with the
necessary skills and certifications for skilled, semiskilled,
and highly skilled energy-related jobs.
(b) Priority.--The Secretary shall make educating and training
minorities and other workers for energy-related jobs a national
priority under the program.
(c) Direct Assistance.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall provide direct assistance (including grants, technical expertise,
mentorships, and partnerships) to community colleges, workforce
development organizations, and minority-serving institutions.
(d) Clearinghouse.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall establish a clearinghouse--
(1) to maintain and update information and resources on
training and workforce development programs for energy-related
jobs; and
(2) to act as a resource, and provide guidance, for
schools, institutions of higher education, workforce
development programs, and labor organizations that would like
to develop and implement energy-related training programs.
(e) Collaboration.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall--
(1) collaborate with schools, institutions of higher
education, workforce training organizations, labor
organizations, National Laboratories, State energy offices, and
the energy industry;
(2) encourage and foster collaboration, mentorships, and
partnerships among organizations (including schools,
institutions of higher education, workforce development
organizations, labor organizations, and industry) that provide
effective job training programs in the energy field and
institutions (including schools, institutions of higher
education, and workforce development programs) that seek to
establish those types of programs to share best practices and
approaches that best suit local, State, and national needs; and
(3) collaborate with the Energy Information Administration
and the Bureau of the Census to develop a comprehensive and
detailed understanding of the energy workforce needs and
opportunities by State and by region.
(f) Guidelines for Educational Institutions.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the program, the
Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Education and
the Secretary of Labor, shall develop guidelines for
educational institutions of all levels, including for programs
at elementary and secondary schools and institutions of higher
education, to help provide graduates with the skills necessary
to work in energy-related jobs.
(2) Input.--The Secretary shall solicit input from the oil,
gas, coal, renewable, nuclear, utility, and pipeline industries
in developing guidelines under paragraph (1).
(3) Energy efficiency and conservation initiatives.--The
guidelines developed under paragraph (1) shall include grade-
specific guidelines for teaching energy efficiency and
conservation initiatives to educate students and families.
(4) STEM education.--The guidelines developed under
paragraph (1) shall promote STEM education as STEM education
relates to job opportunities in energy-related fields of study
in schools and institutions of higher education nationally.
(g) Outreach to MSIs.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary
shall--
(1) give special consideration to increasing outreach to
minority serving institutions (including historically black
colleges and universities, predominantly black institutions,
Hispanic-serving institutions, and tribal institutions);
(2) make resources available to minority-serving
institutions with the objective of increasing the number of
skilled minorities and women trained to go into the energy
sector; and
(3) encourage industry to improve the opportunities for
students of minority-serving institutions to participate in
industry internships and cooperative work and study programs.
(h) Guidelines To Develop Skills for an Energy Industry
Workforce.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary shall
collaborate with representatives from the energy industry (including
the oil, gas, coal, nuclear, utility, pipeline, renewable, and nuclear
sectors) to identify the areas of highest need in each sector and to
develop guidelines for the skills necessary to develop a workforce
trained to enter--
(1) the energy efficiency industry, including work in
energy efficiency, conservation, weatherization, or
retrofitting, or as inspectors or auditors;
(2) the pipeline industry, including work in pipeline
construction and maintenance or work as engineers or technical
advisors;
(3) the utility industry, including as utility workers,
linemen, electricians, pole workers, or repairmen;
(4) alternative fuels, including work in biofuel
development and production;
(5) the nuclear industry, including work as scientists,
engineers, technicians, mathematicians, or security personnel;
(6) the oil and gas industry, including work as scientists,
engineers, technicians, mathematicians, petrochemical
engineers, or geologists;
(7) the renewable industry, including work in the
development and production of renewable energy sources (such as
solar, hydropower, wind, or geothermal energy); and
(8) the coal industry, including work 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.
(i) Enrollment in Training and Apprenticeship Programs.--In
carrying out the program, the Secretary shall work with labor and
community-based workforce organizations to help identify students and
other candidates, including from historically underserved communities
such as minorities, women, and veterans, to enroll into training and
apprenticeship programs for energy-related jobs.
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