. 2393 would require the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish an energy workforce development program to encourage underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics and to better prepare students for jobs in energy-related industries. Under the program, DOE would provide internships and apprenticeships at DOE facilities; fund research grants and technical assistance for academic institutions; and conduct other activities to promote the program’s goals.
Based on the costs of similar programs, CBO estimates that those activities would cost about $15 million annually when fully implemented.
S. 2393 also would authorize the appropriation of $15 million annually through 2022 for DOE to collaborate with the Department of Labor (DOL) in establishing an energy workforce pilot program. DOL would provide grants to businesses and labor management organizations to subsidize on-the-job training for employees in certain energy-related fields.
CBO assumes S. 2393 will be enacted near the end of 2020. Based on historical spending patterns for similar activities, and assuming appropriation of the authorized and necessary amounts starting in 2021, CBO estimates that implementing S. 2393 would cost $69 million over the 2021-2024 period. The costs of the legislation (detailed in Table 1) would fall within budget functions 270 (energy) and 500 (education, training, employment, and social services).
