In the News

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, ARC announced nearly $46.4 million for 57 projects across 184 counties to support economic diversification in the Region’s coal-impacted communities. Read the full story at: https://www.lanereport.com/146552/2021/09/arc-announces-nearly-46-4-million-for-economic-transformation/

The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, created by the Biden Administration in January 2021, has identified Southern West Virginia as No. 1 and Beckley as No. 23 on their list of 40 priority communities to target for transition funding and technical assistance. Read the full story at: https://www.wvnews.com/westondemocrat/opinion/prioritizing-coal-to-products-commercialization-is-needed-to-revitalize-southern-west-virginia-economy/article_e5eb8cd4-14fc-11ec-ba7e-bb821a40dd0e.html

Appalachian Regional Commission is partnering with President Biden’s Interagency Working Group on Revitalizing Coal and Power Plant Communities (IWG) to host a virtual event called New Opportunities for Coal Communities on Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-noon. Read the full story at: https://www.register-herald.com/news/money/arc-hosting-virtual-event-on-opportunities-for-coal-commmunities/article_b89e3899-760c-57d5-8eed-54d174e84a8d.html

Senior officials from several federal agencies, including the U.S. Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Interior, spoke with North Dakota energy community members and leaders about available resources and federal funding to spur regional economic revitalization. Read the full story at: https://www.willistonherald.com/news/oil_and_energy/feds-offering-workshop-for-coal-communities-funding/article_4b9561de-1009-11ec-b320-9f282510c772.html

Brian Anderson grew up in West Virginia, seeing the coal industry slowly decline to the point of utter collapse in recent years. Now, Mr. Anderson, a veteran energy scientist who since 2018 has served as director of the National Energy Technology Laboratory, has an opportunity to do something to help towns like his. In April, Mr.

Granholm visited the Farmington area, where communities are bracing for the eventual closure of two coal-fired power plants and the mines that feed them. The economic effects of lost revenue and jobs are expected to ripple throughout the region. Labor leaders told Granholm that the transition away from fossil fuels has not been without its

An interagency working group including various federal cabinet departments and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory has come up with 25 priority “Energy Communities,” including portions of the Appalachian region extending from Kentucky and West Virginia through the tri-state area around Pittsburgh to the western end of New York state.  Read the

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced an allocation of $300 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for economic revitalization in hard-hit coal and energy communities.The funding announcement advances the broader goals of the Interagency Working Group (IWG) on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization. Read the full story