Policy
PA DEP receives $3M for development of building code training programs
The award will help fund training programs at career and technical schools and community colleges.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection Rich Negrin speaks at a press conference outside the state Capitol. Commonwealth Media Services
The federal government has awarded Pennsylvania $3 million to expand energy code and building science training programs at schools across the commonwealth as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted in 2021.
The $3 million award will go to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for the development of training programs at career and technical schools, as well as community colleges, as announced by the U.S. Department of Energy this week.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the funding is designed to provide new opportunities in the energy code workforce and help address workforce shortages in the code enforcement field and other related trades.
DEP is one of 27 recipients across 26 states and the District of Columbia that received awards from the U.S. Department of Energy this week. In total, the department awarded $90 million in competitive awards to help states, cities, tribes and other organizations improve energy codes for buildings.
Other entities that received funding include the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, the California Energy Commission, the Colorado Energy Office and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm said the awards will help lower costs while also addressing climate change. “With unprecedented support from the president’s Investing in America agenda, the department is providing new funding to help cities and states modernize their building codes – lowering energy costs for American families and businesses while improving public health,” Granholm said in a statement.
According to the White House, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has directed $8.9 billion to Pennsylvania, with more than 277 specific projects set to receive funding. The award is the latest example of federal investment in the state’s ongoing efforts to improve its infrastructure. In June, the state received $1.16 billion in federal funds for broadband internet development through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority will be tasked to counties.