YOUNGSTOWN, Oh. — Coal-impacted communities across West Virginia are getting a financial boost from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
The ARC on Thursday awarded nearly $21 million for 21 projects in West Virginia and in neighboring states in an effort to enhance industry growth in the region.
“The transformation should be that we’re not just surviving. We’re not just thriving. We are competing that the Appalachian region has the ability, the skill set and the character of people in it to compete at a global level,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin during an awards presentation in Youngstown, Ohio.
Manchin said when the Appalachian region thrives, so does the rest of the country.
“If the ARC is transformed into a competitive region, this country will be strong,” Manchin said. “We shouldn’t be competing with one community or one state. We should be collaborating as a region.”
This is the second round of funding through the ARC’s POWER initiative, which stands for Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization.
The initiative is meant to target federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations and coal-related supply chain industries.
The 21 projects support entrepreneurship, workforce development, infrastructure, tourism and health care to create jobs and expand job training.
West Virginia received three awards including the West Virginia Regional Technology Park Corporation with $886,762, the Kanawha County Commission with $675,210 and Generation West Virginia with $523,253.
Since POWER was established in 2015, the ARC has invested more than $316.6 million in 393 projects across the region.
The investments have helped to create and retain more than 36,000 jobs, prepare nearly 14,300 workers and students for new employment opportunities.
A wonderful morning in Youngstown #Ohio as we were joined by @AsstSecCastillo and many of our regional partners as we announced more than $21 million in @ARCgov POWER grants to 21 projects serving #Appalachia’s coal-impacted communities. pic.twitter.com/OlXMcpfCaW
— Gayle Manchin (@GayleManchin) March 17, 2022
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Castillo attended Thursday’s event to congratulate the award recipients.
“The Economic Development Administration and the Appalachian Regional Commission enjoy a strong and vital partnership, and I am proud of the work that we do together to help create economic opportunity ans jobs in the 13-state Appalachian region,” Castillo wrote in a statement.
ARC is seeking proposals for additional POWER projects. The application deadline is April 29. The awards will be announced in the fall.