A Stronger Appalachian Regional Commission Vital to Economic Progress
A funding boost could enable the Appalachian Regional Commission to improve regional infrastructure and generate real, lasting prosperity.
A Big Civilian Climate Corps is Vital for Economy and Appalachia
A revamped Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) could reduce carbon emissions, grow jobs, and restore our natural resources and environment in the Ohio River Valley and beyond.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
New Reports Sketch a Blueprint for Job Growth and Economic Development in Distressed Appalachian Communities
There are many parallels between economically struggling communities in Appalachia and Centralia, Washington, a chronically depressed coal town that lost its coal mine and is now losing its coal-fired power plant. But in Centralia, the economy, jobs and population are booming. A new report by the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) titled “The Centralia Model […]
The Centralia Model for Economic Transition in Distressed Communities
Centralia, Washington, a former coal town with a now-booming economy, could provide a model for clean energy and economic transition in distressed communities in Appalachia and beyond.
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 […]
New Report Demonstrates How RGGI Could Fund Opportunities for Pennsylvania Coal Plant Communities
The Ohio River Valley Institute’s newest report examines how the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) could support economic development and job creation in Pennsylvania, particularly in coal communities most impacted by energy market transition from coal to other energy sources. The report, Options and Opportunities for Coal Plant Communities: Pennsylvania and the Regional Greenhouse Gas […]
Options and Opportunities for Coal Plant Communities: Pennsylvania and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI)
Revenue from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) could aid coal communities facing plant closures and energy market changes. ORVI Research Fellow Joseph Cullen outlines a path forward.