The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced on Tuesday $428 million in grant funding for the building and expansion of green energy manufacturing in communities where coal mines have recently been decommissioned.

-snip-

“These are communities that powered America for literally decades, and this administration, the Biden-Harris administration, believes they’re exactly the right folks in the right communities to lead the clean energy transition for decades to come,” David Turk, deputy U.S. energy secretary, told reporters during a call, as Reuters reported.

The projects span a dozen states — including West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Texas and Utah — and will leverage more than $500 million in investments by the private sector, while creating 1,900-plus jobs.

“These investments from the Biden-Harris Administration – catalyzing even more in private sector investment – will lift up these energy communities by creating good-paying union jobs, enhancing our supply chains,” said Ali Zaidi, White House national climate advisor, in the press release.