U.S. Energy Department provides $475M for clean energy in five projects at mine sites across the nation .

Looking to revitalize the industry that has supported and continues to support thousands of Americans for over a century, the Department of Energy announced nearly half a billion dollars in funding to accelerate clean energy deployment at five current and former mine sites.

DOE has selected five projects in Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia receive a combined $475 million in funding made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"President Biden believes that the communities that have powered our nation for the past 100 years should power our nation for the next 100," said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.

The selected projects will cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar and microgrids to pumped storage hydropower, geothermal, and battery energy storage systems.

Three of these projects are located on former Appalachian coal mines, which will support economic revitalization and workforce development on land that is no longer viable for industrial purposes.

In the West, two projects will seek to displace fossil fuel use by ramping up net-zero mining operations and continue to provide the critical materials needed for a robust, domestic, and clean energy supply chain.

Each pin highlights location of a mining site funded by DOE to spur the adoption of clean energy technologies and revitalization of local region.

The five projects selected for the potential award include:

• Graham and Greenlee Counties, Arizona – Copper Recovery to Support America's Domestic Energy Supply Chain.

This project seeks to deploy direct-use, geothermal, clean heat combined with a battery energy storage system at two active copper mines operated by Freeport Minerals Corp. in Southeast Arizona – presumably the Morenci and Safford Mines.

Aiming to decrease the reliance on fossil fuel as backup power at a mine that produces roughly 25 million pounds of copper each year, this project will create at least 120 new construction and 12 operation jobs at one of the largest domestic sources of copper in the United States.

As part of this award negotiation, Freeport will continue to foster partnerships with technical colleges and high schools, with an emphasis on expanding access for students from underrepresented groups and provide scholarships for nearly 300 Native American students from 14 tribes.

• Bell County, Kentucky – Lewis Ridge Project (Coal-to-Pumped Storage Hydropower).

This project proposes converting former coal mine land to a closed-loop, pumped-storage hydroelectric facility with the potential to provide up to eight hours of power when needed, such as during peak demand or extreme weather conditions.

Spearheaded by Rye Development, a leading U.S. hydropower developer, this project will support communities through tax revenues and create approximately 1,500 construction and 30 operation jobs.

Rye Development is also prioritizing local hiring through partnerships with local unions and the Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College.

• Elko, Humboldt, and Eureka Counties, Nevada – Decarbonizing Gold Mines.

This project aims to develop a new solar facility and accompanying battery energy storage system across three active gold mines in Nevada – possibly the Carlin, Turquoise Ridge, and Cortez projects, based on a rough geographical estimate.

By shifting to clean energy, this project aims to demonstrate a replicable method for the mining industry to reach net-zero operations, while meeting growing demands for minerals across multiple sectors – including the clean energy supply chain.

Led by Nevada Gold Mines – a joint venture between the world's two largest gold mining companies, Barrick Gold and Newmont – the project is committed to hiring locally; offer training, mentoring and apprenticeship opportunities; and is expected to create up to 300 construction jobs to support this project.

• Clearfield County, Pennsylvania – Mineral Basin: Coal-to-Solar.

This project plans to repurpose nearly 2,700 acres of former coal mining land to support the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar project in Pennsylvania. At 402 megawatts, Mineral Basin will generate enough clean electricity to power more than 70,000 homes.

Increasing regional access to clean energy and filling a critical electricity-generation gap following the closure of the Homer City coal plant, this project is projected to create roughly 750 construction jobs and six operation jobs, while providing approximately $1.1 million in annual tax revenue to the Goshen and Girard townships, Clearfield County, and the Clearfield County School District.

Once operational, Mineral Basin will contribute $500 for every megawatt generated annually to the region for community improvements, expected to be more than $200,000 per year.

Headed by Mineral Basin Solar Power, LLC, the company plans to partner with local and regional education and workforce stakeholders to increase economic mobility for the citizens across a 27-county region; make significant improvements to the water quality on the Susquehanna River; and create new high-demand, high-wage jobs across multiple sectors.

• Nicholas County, West Virginia – A Model for Transition: Coal-to-Solar.

This project plans to repurpose two former coal mines with a utility-scale, 250 MW solar PV system that would power approximately 39,000 West Virginian homes.

Currently inactive, these sites provide land and access to existing energy infrastructure that may be utilized to transmit future clean, solar energy to the grid instead.

Fronted by a joint effort from New River Community and Technical College, Mana Group, and the National Association of Counties Research Foundation, repurposing these sites will act as a reclamation as well as improvement, reducing development on other regions with sensitive natural and agricultural land. Additionally, this will ideally lay the groundwork for regional economic revitalization, starting with the workforce.

Toward this end, the collaboration plans to create a national Coal Transition Workforce Cener to support and revitalize the local workforce for opportunities that may exist outside the region.

Ultimately, this project is expected to create roughly 400 construction jobs and four operations jobs and will endeavor to engage state labor groups and education programs.