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Understanding Community Benefit Plans in DOE

Oct 28, 2024

Introduction to Community Benefit Plans (CBPs)

Overview

  • Series: Multi-chapter series on Community Benefit Plans at the DOE
  • Chapter Focus: Introduction to CBPs, their organization, and implementation by DOE
  • Further Chapters: Detailed exploration of each of the four pillars of CBPs
  • Additional Resources: DOE's Community Benefit Plan website and funding opportunity announcements

Importance of CBPs

  • Priority: Major focus within DOE's recent funding and grants
  • Goals:
    • Ensure investments benefit people and communities
    • Support quality job growth
    • Increase accessibility in Clean Energy Transition
  • Implementation Benefits:
    • Maximize community, labor, and tribal benefits
    • Ensure long-term success
    • Reduce project risks and delays
    • Enhance stakeholder participation
    • Promote accountability and shared prosperity

Structure and Impact of CBPs

  • Requirement: Part of technical merit review for most DOE funding applications
  • Policy Priorities:
    • Community and labor engagement
    • Investing in quality jobs
    • Advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
    • Justice 40 initiative: 40% benefits to disadvantaged communities

Evaluation of CBPs

  • Process: Part of the technical review with CBPs typically valued at 20% of the score
  • Implementation: CBPs incorporated into awards; recipients required to implement
  • Requirements:
    • Specific, measurable milestones
    • Progress evaluation during DOE award lifecycle
    • Standardized reporting forms

Effective CBP Characteristics

  • Integration: Aligns with project goals and impacts decisions
  • Resources: Sufficient to achieve tasks
  • Commitments: Actionable and consider community impacts
  • Engagement: Clear stakeholder group involvement
  • Environmental Impact: Monitoring and mitigation

CBP Incorporation and Timeline

  • Application Process:
    • Submission and scoring of applications
    • Selectees refine CBP commitments
    • Final commitments included in award through Community Benefits Outcomes and Objectives (CBU) form
    • Monitoring and reporting through CBU and Community Benefits Report (CBR)
  • Documentation:
    • CBU: Executive summary of commitments
    • CBR: Tracks progress and metrics
    • CBU and CBR ensure accountability and progress tracking

Resources

  • Links and Resources: Available for CBP development and implementation

Conclusion

  • Next Steps: Explore subsequent chapters for detailed insights into each CBP pillar