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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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$67 Million Headed to Ohio for "Smart Grid" Projects

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - More than $67 million in clean energy stimulus money is bound for the Buckeye State. Three "smart grid" projects in Ohio are among the 100 across the nation that will share $3.4 billion in federal grants announced last week by President Obama.

The grants are being made to companies and communities that are working together to modernize the nation's electrical distribution grid. For the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) that trains many electrical workers in Ohio, it means new opportunities to learn and earn from the "green" economy. Steve Lipster is director of the Columbus JATC.

"The smart grid, distributed generation, solar voltaics, wind turbines and all that, really allow us to move into the next generation -- to, frankly, get off coal's back and use the renewables that are available to us."

In Ohio, grant recipients are First Energy in Akron and the cities of Wadsworth and Westerville for "smart meter" technology, which allows customers to better manage their electricity use. Lipster says funding is expected to arrive in the next couple of months.

"These particular projects, from what I understand, are literally ready to go, and they'll really go a long way to be able to move to the distributed generation system that we're hoping will come down the line. So, we're hopeful these will kick off very, very shortly."

The implementation of smart grid technology is expected to open up new jobs, as well as provide new work for those already in skilled construction trades. That adds an additional element to workforce development, says Lipster.

"Our challenge is to assure that not only today's workers but workers in the future have the skills necessary to work on some of these high tech systems, they are fairly complex so that's why the incumbent work-in-training aspect of this is very exciting."

The awards also are expected to help advance the goals of a state energy law signed last year. It requires that, by the year 2025, 25 percent of all Ohio's electricity is produced from advanced energy sources and at least 12.5 percent from renewable sources.



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