WASHINGTON, DC -- The Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that it will award $300,000 to the Regional Development Corporation (RDC).  RDC is the community reuse organization (CRO) serving the department’s Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

This grant will be used to fund the general administrative expenses of RDC’s economic diversification initiatives including the continued support of the Otra Vez project, an asset conversion and skill-training program.

"The Energy Department is a good neighbor to the communities surrounding our sites," Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham said. "We will continue to work with the Regional Development Corporation and other community reuse organizations around the country, to retain, expand or create jobs for workers affected by restructuring efforts."

The Otra Vez project provides vocational training and permanent employment for the trainees through a program that upgrades and sells surplus computers, office equipment and furniture that were originally Los Alamos National Laboratory surplus property.  Other initiatives include the New Mexico BizSites.com project, a regional GIS-based commercial building and parcel identification and description system to facilitate area business development activities, and the Connect Rio Arriba project to establish broadband access to rural northern New Mexico to attract and retain major businesses.

The Energy Department and RDC have created or retained 975 new economy jobs, and estimate that 3,030 jobs will be created or retained by 2005.