2017 Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC 2017)

EDA FY17 appropriations include $100 million for the Public Works program, $35 million for the Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) program, and an additional $30 million in EAA funds for Assistance to Coal Communities (ACC 2017) pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). EDA will award ACC 2017 funds on a competitive basis to assist communities severely impacted by the declining use of coal through activities and programs that support economic diversification, job creation, capital investment, workforce development and re-employment opportunities. The FY17 Economic Development Assistance Programs (EDAP) Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) has been revised to include information about how to prepare and submit ACC 2017 grant proposals and applications.

Investing in Collaborative Partnerships for Economic Prosperity

Through ACC 2017, EDA designates a portion of its EAA funding to support communities and regions that have been negatively impacted by changes in the coal economy. Under the NOFA, EDA prioritizes ACC implementation projects and activities that:

  • Will produce multiple economic and workforce development outcomes, such as promoting regional economic growth and diversification, new job creation, and re-employment opportunities for displaced coal economy workers; and
  • Are specifically identified under local and regional economic development plans that have been collaboratively produced by diverse local and regional stakeholders. These can include, but are not limited to:
    • economic development organizations,
    • local governments,
    • planning organizations,
    • labor unions,
    • state and local workforce agencies,
    • institutions of higher education and other job training and adult education providers,
    • supportive services and human services providers.

Under this NOFA, EDA will also support ACC planning through strategy grants that develop, update or refine a CEDS or an equivalent planning document.

ACC 2017 Eligibility

ACC 2017 funds are designated for communities and regions that can reasonably demonstrate how changes in the coal economy have resulted and/or are anticipated to result in job losses and layoffs in any coal-reliant commercial sector or sectors. Under this ACC competition, the term coal economy is used to refer to the complete ecosystem of coal-reliant industries and businesses. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Coal Mining; and/or
  • Coal-Fired Power Plants; and/or
  • Related Transportation, and/or Logistics, and/or Supply Chain Manufacturing Industries.

There is no pre-defined list of impacted coal communities that are eligible for ACC assistance. In order to demonstrate eligibility under this criterion, complete applications must provide appropriate third party economic and demographic statistics which document the extent to which contractions in the coal economy have negatively impacted the community or region. Applicants are encouraged to cite federal data resources that may include, but are not limited to:

Where Can I Find More Information About ACC 2017?

Please refer to the FY17 EDAP NOFA for specific, detailed instructions pertaining to the preparation and submission of an ACC proposal and complete application. For additional information about ACC 2017, please contact EDA’s Division of Economic Development Integration (EDI) at [email protected], or your regional EDA ACC point of contact (see Section G of the NOFA, “EDA Contact Information”).