Hint: To do it really stupidly, you need HYDROGEN!
via GIPHY OK, in fairness to everyone who has ever built a hamster wheel to generate electricity, it probably wasn’t about the electricity. It may have been about the merit badge, or your science grade, or just to satisfy your curiosity. But it almost certainly wasn’t about devising a way to make electricity that […]
Regardless of What They Say, Green Hydrogen Will Be Cleaner, Cheaper, and It’s Around The Corner
“The worry is that, along the way, we are going to waste huge amounts of money on the wrong use cases for hydrogen and the wrong infrastructure in the wrong places. Worse than wasting money, we will also be wasting time – and that is the one thing we don’t have.” —Michael Liebreich Michael […]
Measuring the ‘Cost’ of a Disaster
A lot has happened since ORVI originally published our post on the disastrous toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Cleanup efforts are still underway by the railroad operator, Norfolk Southern, but they have raised new questions about the safe transport of contaminated soil and water on public roadways to state disposal sites. New water […]
ORVI in Southeastern Louisiana to Learn about a True Transition for Oil & Gas Workers
During the third week in March, I had the opportunity to travel to southeastern Louisiana to take part in several events sponsored by True Transition, a new group working to build a brighter future for oil and gas workers and communities across the country. For over a year, I have had the honor of serving […]
An Overview of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Hazardous Chemical Spill in East Palestine, Ohio
Information contained within this post is current as of its publication on February 23, 2023. Due to the fluid nature of the situation and the continuing release of new information, future updates will be regularly added and specified at the end of the post. What happened in East Palestine, Ohio? On February […]
The Road to Flood Disaster Recovery: Resources for Housing and Outstanding Need
In a new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute and Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, we estimate it will cost $450 to 950 million to rebuild homes affected by the flood, depending on how many homes are relocated to less flood-prone areas. Our report finds that 8,950 homes were damaged in the flood – […]
The East Palestine train derailment is petrochemical harm at its worst. For the industry, it’s a cost of doing business.
On Friday, February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous petrochemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, sparking what may be one of the worst environmental disasters in US history. Thousands of fish have turned up dead in nearby waterways; a plume of toxins is flowing down the Ohio River, and officials are still releasing […]
Black workers helped build Appalachia’s economy. Today, they’re still shortchanged.
Here’s a name you don’t often read in Appalachian history books: Bill Worthington. Bill was a Black coal miner from Harlan County, Kentucky, and a member of the United Mine Workers of America. Bill played a pivotal role in historic labor disputes in Harlan County in the 1970s and helped organize the National Black […]
2022 in Review
The close of 2022 marks the second year of the Ohio River Valley Institute’s research on clean energy, shared prosperity, and equitable civic structures in the greater Ohio River Valley and Appalachia. Two years ago, our organization launched as an independent, nonprofit think tank designed to equip residents and decision-makers with the policy research […]
First Tranche of Federal Orphan Well Funds Out the Door
In August of 2022, the US Department of Interior (DOI) announced it awarded 24 states $560 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) to plug over 10,000 wells, reclaim well sites, and measure methane emissions. In January of last year, DOI announced that 26 states were eligible for $25 million each, or $650 million […]