Clients
Green Economy Fund
The Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), jointly developed by Transmission Developers Inc and Hydro-Québec, is a 1,250MW transmission line that will provide hydropower to New York State. As part of the project, the developers established the Green Economy Fund, a $40M fund designed to support disadvantaged communities, low-income individuals, and transitioning fossil fuel workers in accessing and building careers in New York State’s green economy.
Empowering Work Advisors and Karp Strategies collaborated to launch and administer the Green Economy Fund, including designing and administering the RFP/grantee application and selection process; overseeing administration of grants; and supporting tracking and reporting of grant outcomes. EWA deployed its expansive knowledge of New York workforce development stakeholders, grant management, and the clean energy sector, to implement a grant program that supported the recruitment of a diverse and inclusive pool of grant applicants while redistributing power to the underserved communities.
Offshore Wind Port: Community Benefit Agreements
Empowering Work Advisors supported Maine Conservation Voters in their advocacy for responsible development of an offshore wind port in Maine. Specifically, Libby provided guidance on best practices for establishing Community Benefits Agreements. Offshore wind is the most significant step we can take to address the climate crisis and grow our economy -- and Maine Conservation Voters is working to ensure that this new port has the least impacts to, and most benefits for, the environment and local communities.
Federal funding review
Empowering Work Advisors is a designated reviewer of applications for clean energy workforce development funding from the Bilateral Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund application
The Coalition for Green Capital’s mission is to halt climate change by accelerating investment in clean energy technologies, and it achieves this by advocating for, creating and implementing green banks across the US.
Libby advised the Coalition for Green Capital on labor and equitable workforce development strategies for its successful application for $5B from the EPA’s National Clean Investment Fund. As a national leader in green finance, the policies developed and implemented by the Coalition for Green Capital will proliferate and play a significant role in shaping the future workforce for the clean energy sector.
Offshore Wind Career Access Scholarship
The UMass Clean Energy Extension’s (CEE) Offshore Wind Professional Certificate and associated Career Access Scholarship address the need for diverse talent in the offshore wind sector.
UMass CEE hired Empowering Work Advisors to design and implement the Career Access Scholarship program, which is funded by a grant from MassCEC. Libby advised the CEE team on how to design and execute an equitable recruitment process, provide necessary wraparound services to ensure student success, and created and facilitated a professional development curriculum. As the program grows and seeks to attract long-term funding, Libby developed the Industry Partnership Program to engage companies to the Certificate and Scholarship programs.
Libby DeLucia-Harting has been a valued team member. She has displayed focused and creative skills in developing the design of our industry partnership program, and she has built on her workforce development skills in establishing our Offshore Wind Access Scholarship program. Libby is delightful to work with, attentive to details and schedules, and has specialized skills and affinity to work with organizations focused on bringing more diversity and inclusion into our clean energy workforce.
- Dwayne Breger, Director, UMass Clean Energy Center
Customer acquisition
Empowering Work Advisors supported Julius Education with business development, leveraging Libby’s contacts in clean energy and workforce development. Julius provides data driven solutions for the future of energy. Their platform uses proprietary data and analytics to deliver inclusive pathways programs for jobseekers and help employers with standardized upskilling to transform their workforce.
Empowering Work Advisors advised BlocPower’s Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) since its inception in July 2021. The CCC was designed to build a clean energy workforce in the New York City communities most impacted by gun violence and has received over $90M in funding from former Mayor Bill De Blasio and Mayor Eric Adams. The program provides paid job-readiness and technical training to adults of all ages in HVAC, electric vehicle, building performance, and other clean energy sectors.
Libby was a critical influence as we rapidly build the groundbreaking BlocPower Civilian Climate Corps. There was no time to waste, and she jumped right in. She has an invaluable understanding of how to design and implement workforce programs that truly serve the community, and her communication and leadership style make her very effective.
- Keith Kinch, General Manager, BlocPower