City to provide $1 million in workforce grants to clean energy center

The city of Columbus will make just over $1 million in workforce development grants for an Advanced Machine and Vehicle Innovation Center.

Organizers of the center say it is a non profit organization that serves as a training hub for clean energy jobs. It offers hands on and virtual classrooms and lab based learning. The center will also act as an incubator for research and development in advanced clean power machinery.

They said the center is set to receive just over $1 million in funds from the state’s READI 2.0 program and more than $3 million in private partnerships, plus $4 million in income for training, tech incubation projects and membership income. Among the local partners are LHP, AEI, Forvia, Duke Energy and Purdue University. The city grant will go to develop the curriculum, hands on and virtual instruction and work at the training site.

The goal is to help Columbus become the STEM capital of Indiana.

The redevelopment commission approved the plan this week, with the funds being disbursed over five years, starting this year and going through 2030. The revenue will come from the city’s central tax increment financing district.