Community groups urge U.S. Department of Energy to halt gas, ethane development
More than one hundred environmental and community advocates described the devastating threats to public health and safety posed by petrochemical development in Appalachia and the Gulf South during a public hearing organized by the Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management on Tuesday. According to the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon […]
How the Department of Energy Can Help Mitigate Economic and Environmental Damage from Petrochemical Development and Fracking
Senior Researcher Sean O’Leary explained the damaging effects of shale gas activity and prospective petrochemical development on the environment, residents’ wellbeing, and local economic growth in a public-facing presentation for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management earlier this week. The presentation informed the Department of Energy’s public meeting to […]
Finding Opportunity in the Ohio Valley
Last week, Senior Researcher Sean O’Leary and I traveled across the Ohio Valley to discuss Ohio River Valley Institute research with county commissioners and local organizations. The trip laid bare the aftermath of fracking’s grip on the regional economy. Boarded windows and vacant, slouching storefronts line Bellaire, Ohio’s Belmont Street, looming over what was once […]
Hydrogen 101
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”] [et_pb_row admin_label=”row”] [et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text”]In the last few months, hydrogen has garnered serious hype across the Ohio Valley as the zero-emissions fuel of the future. But should proponents’ claims be taken at face value? Is more skepticism warranted? What is hydrogen, really, and what are its uses and challenges in an economy transitioning […]
Fewer Jobs, Higher Electric Bills if WVPSC Mitchell Ruling Prevails
The West Virginia Public Service Commission’s ruling on the case regarding the Mitchell power plant will, if it is implemented, result in fewer jobs and less prosperity for Marshall County and surrounding counties, it will needlessly raise West Virginians’ utility bills, and it will steal from a community that has been distressed for too long […]
ORVI Insider #21: New Poll Shows PA Voters Want a Crackdown on Fracking
The latest news, research, and analysis from the Ohio River Valley Institute. July 29, 2021 By wide margins, Pennsylvania voters support a major crackdown on fracking. That’s according to a striking new poll from Data for Progress and the Ohio River Valley Institute, which shows widespread concern […]
New Poll Shows PA Voters Want a Crackdown on Fracking
Pennsylvania has officially soured on fracking. A groundbreaking new opinion poll released today by the Ohio River Valley Institute shows that, by wide margins, state voters support a serious crackdown on fracking operations. The poll shows that voters across all demographics are deeply concerned about the impacts of drilling—and a majority want to end fracking […]
Appalachia Poised to Be Part of Shift to Clean Energy
For over 150 years, the Appalachian region has provided the cheap energy that has powered the nation to become an industrial giant and build a middle class. At the same time, the enormous wealth pulled from the hills of Appalachia largely enriched other parts of the country while leaving environmental degradation and persistent poverty in its wake. As federal policymakers design policies to transition and invest in a clean energy economy, it is imperative that Appalachia can rebuild and grow a 21st Century sustainable economy that builds shared prosperity.
ORVI Insider #20: A Model for Economic Development in Appalachia
The latest news, research, and analysis from the Ohio River Valley Institute. July 20, 2021 A groundbreaking set of new reports from the Ohio River Valley Institute explain why natural gas development failed to deliver economic prosperity to Appalachia and examine a real-world model for economic development that […]
Manchin Infrastructure Bill Needs More Focus on Labor, AML Funding Distribution
On Friday, US Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released a new version of his proposed energy infrastructure package. The previous version of his proposal included $11.3 billion in federal funds to clean up damage from Abandoned Mine Lands (AMLs) across the country. The new bill adds some important provisions, but alarmingly has dropped policies key to […]