ReImagine Appalachia

ReImagine Appalachia is thrilled to be in Frostburg, MD, this week at the @Appalachian Regional Commission (@arcgov)’s 2025 Annual Conference, Appalachian Places: Growing Local Economies!

#SustainableGrowth
#SustainableGrowth
#PlanningPrinciples
#Economy
#Equity

Major Midwest port begins electrifying operations to reduce emissions The Port of Cleveland is adding charging ports, batteries, and solar to its main warehouse — work funded by a federal program that has so far survived…

Despite current attacks on renewables, one of the largest ports in the Midwest is taking major steps toward decarbonization thanks to Biden-era federal funding. 🔋🌱

loom.ly/Nl0S6QA

#CleanEnergy
#Appalachia

BLOG: Is Responsible Data Center Development Possible? To start a broader conversation around responsible data center development across diverse stakeholder groups, this blog summarizes ongoing conversations from across our coalition - and some partner re...

The conversation around data centers is heating up! But can these facilities be implemented in a way that...

🌍Minimizes environmental damage?
👷‍♂️Creates good-paying union jobs?
🔥Repurposes waste heat to benefit other industries?

Explore the topic here!
loom.ly/6m6V4WU

#DataCenters
#TechJobs

PRESS STATEMENT: ReImagine Appalachia Statement Regarding the Federal Government Shutdown APPALACHIA - As the federal government shutdown is set to move into a second week, ReImagine Appalachia released the following statement regarding the impacts on communities across the region:

ReImagine Appalachia calls on Congress to pass a bipartisan budget that invests in our region, protects vital programs, and recognizes the essential role that federal workers play in making government work for our communities.

reimagineappalachia.org/reimagine-ap...

#GovernmentShutdown
#Appalachia

Rural America Is Struggling. Where’s Philanthropy? New donor collaboratives are experimenting, but few national foundations bring big dollars or a strategy.

"The persistent-poverty counties include a racially diverse assortment of rural areas, such as the Mississippi Delta, Appalachia, (...) More than 60 percent of the residents in persistent-poverty counties are people of color."

www.philanthropy.com/article/rura...

#Appalachia
#Philanthropy

Facilitation Skills - ReImagine Appalachia Friday, October 10 at 11 am ET via Zoom - Grab your coffee and join us to build virtual networking and other technology skills during our community conversations meetings. October’s event will focus o...

Friday, October 10 at 11 am ET via Zoom - Join us to learn some fundamentals of good facilitation that foster levity, sustain engagement, and keep you adaptive to bugs and setbacks!

Register @ loom.ly/ECTrFvw

#VirtualEvents
#TechIssues
#Events
#Facilitation

BLOG: The Supply Chain for Wind Turbines Will Create Jobs in Coal Country With the region’s historic prestige in providing the country’s energy as well as existing manufacturing infrastructure that can seamlessly integrate wind turbine production into coal country.

💨With the region’s historic energy producer status as well as existing manufacturing infrastructure, learn how we could seamlessly integrate wind turbine production into coal country!

Read @
reimagineappalachia.org/the-supply-c...

#Appalachia
#WindEnergy
#Manufacturing

Coalition Update - ReImagine Appalachia Tuesday, October 7th at Noon ET via Zoom - Join us to hear from two guest speakers involved in our Arts & Culture Group - The Perry County Council of the Arts and learn about Pennsylvania Creative Ind...

TOMORROW – Join us to hear about the @Pennsylvania Council on the Arts's new state-wide plan for supporting PA’s vibrant, $30B creative sector. + 🥖 hear from Bread for the World about the Modern WIC Act!

Register @
reimagineappalachia.org/coalition-up...

#FoodForAll

Brad Davis: Southern WV water crisis needs more than talk (Opinion) West Virginians desperate for help dealing with our state’s ongoing polluted drinking water crisis shouldn’t get their hopes up that an amendment offered by Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., and passed

"It’s doubtful that Congress will agree on a budget before the end of the month, (...) Which means too many West Virginians are going to end up just like they were before this amendment was passed — asking their lawmakers to care." - Rev. Brad Davis, McDowell County.

loom.ly/9LQnBBc

#Appalachia

⚡ Calling community energy leaders! #E2C peer-learning cohorts are open for applications:

1. Turn energy plans into action with hands-on deployment support
2. Southeast communities: prepare energy systems for severe weather & disasters
Apply by Oct. 31
👉 www.nrel.gov/e2c/cohorts

@NREL

NOAA’s transformative Flood Inundation Mapping expands to 60% of U.S. Experimental services improve flood communications for emergency managers and the public

Bolstered by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, in Sept. 2025, the National Weather Service announced that an advanced experimental tool known as Flood Inundation Mapping (FIM) made transformative developments!

Learn more @ loom.ly/rY5I6M4

#InfrastructureWinsWednesdays

Are you an Appalachian artist who wants to be featured in our artist highlights (#AppalachianArtistShoutout) and/or engage in our arts and culture gatherings?

Email to blaise@reimagineappalachia.org. We would love to collaborate with you to showcase the region’s wide-ranging talents!

#Wildcrafting

BLOG: Reflecting and Rebuilding, One Year After Hurricane Helene The story of Helene’s impact and the journey of communities to recover and rebuild is only beginning.

The story of Helene’s impact, (including the loss of at least 250 lives) and the journey of communities to recover and rebuild is only beginning.

Read @ loom.ly/rM_Najw

#HurricaneHelene
#DisasterRecovery
#DisasterMitigation
#Appalachia

@nationalwildlife.bsky.social
@appcitizenslaw.bsky.social

Appalachian leaders push for strong FEMA Act Community leaders in Appalachia are urging the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to keep up progress on advancing the bipartisan Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act.T...

Congress's new bipartisan FEMA bill has a lot of promise - it's critical that this bill move swiftly to the finish line! ✍️

app.publicnewsservice.org/story/appala...?

#FEMA
#DisasterMitigation
#Appalachia

A Wind-Win: Appalachia’s Potential in the Wind Turbine Supply Chain - ReImagine Appalachia A New Deal that Works for Us: Now is the time to come together and reimagine a 21st century economy for the Ohio Valley that's good for workers, communities, and the environment.

🛶Navigable waterways
🏚️Shuttered facilities that can be upgraded for turbine parts-making
💪A Regional workforce skilled in plastics and metals manufacturing

Sign up to learn how Appalachia can be come a wind turbine manufacturing hub!
loom.ly/RMrhAmU

#WindTurbine
#WindEnergy
#Manufacturing

Battery Storage Report: An Opportunity to Tap Clean and Reliable Energy for Appalachia’s Businesses A new report explores the potential for Battery Energy Storage (BESS) to provide affordable, efficient, safe and grid-responsive power to the Appalachia region. BESS has the potential to unlock clean and reliable energy that Appalachia’s manufacturers need to grow. Our region can be at the forefront of this energy revolution”— Petra Mitchell, President and CEO of Catalyst ConnectionPITTSBURGH, PA, UNITED STATES, September 3, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new report from the Energy ...

🔋 An new report by Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia (EMA) a partnership ReImagine is a part of, explores the potential for Battery Energy Storage (BESS) to provide affordable, efficient, safe and grid-responsive power to the region.

loom.ly/JLE1_WI

#Battery
#Energy

Unclean drinking water is a huge problem in Central Appalachia. And countless overlooked communities remain.
Thanks to essential support from the ARC, however, one area can be scratched off the list.

Learn more here:
loom.ly/D5v4qx0

#Infrastructurewinswednesdays
#AppalachianRegionalCommission

The Status of Apprenticeship in West Virginia RAND has collaborated with West Virginia University to study various ways to bolster workforce development. This webinar focuses on the current status of apprenticeship in West Virginia.

In this upcoming webinar, Attendees will gain insights into recent trends in apprenticeship utilization across various industries in the state and the challenges faced in the apprenticeship landscape.

loom.ly/mm7roCI

#ApprenticeshipProgram
#Apprenticeship
#WestVirginia
#Rand

RISE PA, a model for other states and the nation Please join us to share ideas and feedback on how RISE PA has seen success in decarbonizing across the state and what a model for other states could look like.

To know how to continue to incentivize economic development, we have to look at what aspects of the RISE PA program worked and how they could be replicated. 📈

Register @
secure.everyaction.com/snWAY5TgeUC7...

#Appalachia
#Decarbonization
#Industry

BLOG: Sign-On Letters 101 A great way to show large support for a policy or an idea is to create a sign on letter.

Build momentum in the time it takes to get a signature. Learn how to:

✍ Craft sign-on letters that inspire unity among diverse groups.
🤝 Engage your community so they will take action when letters go out.
🗓 Organize your sign-on activities with online tools and resources!

Read @
loom.ly/HwZcGw8

9/11 remembrances in Pennsylvania, New Jersey honor victims from Philadelphia region The 2,977 victims of the Sept. 11 attacks were remembered as the Philly region marked 24 years since the tragedy.

Remembering the tragedy of 9/11 and its far-reaching impacts 🇺🇸

www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia...

Penn State University Class Workshop Series: Visioning & Goal Setting - ReImagine Appalachia ReImagine Appalachia is teaming up with Penn State University to ReImagine the region’s shuttered coal plants and work collaboratively create visual concept art of their transformation into Appalachia...

Join ReImagine Appalachia as we host a series of community engagement workshops where students will share their research findings, collectively outline goals, and fine-tune their projects based on community input!

Register here:
loom.ly/02dh1kw

#EcoIndustrialParks
#Appalachia

Glouster, OH, has just raked in big benefits to its local economy! Learn how AMLER funding revamp the area’s public parks and potentially support a local food business boom!

Learn more here: ohiodnr.gov/discover-and...

#InfrastructureWinsWednesdays
#Appalachia
#AMLER

Clean-Energy Cuts Decried at DeSales University Forum by Mark Pattison - Today's American Catholic Panelists discussed the effects of budget cuts on workers, the economy, and the environment of Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.

In Pennsylvania alone “more than 100 clean energy projects are at risk.” The jobs those projects bring, are “pathways to careers with dignity and stability . . . and a safer climate for our children.” Angela Ferritto, President PA AFL-CIO

www.todaysamericancatholic.org/2025/09/clea...

#CleanSteel

A Wind-Win: Appalachia’s Potential in the Wind Turbine Supply Chain - ReImagine Appalachia A New Deal that Works for Us: Now is the time to come together and reimagine a 21st century economy for the Ohio Valley that's good for workers, communities, and the environment.

Wind power is cheap and growing; ReImagine Appalachia's upcoming report release will show how the region is well-positioned to become a wind turbine manufacturing hub!

Register Today!
reimagineappalachia.org/wind-the-win...

#WindEnergy
#Appalachia
#WindTurbines

BLOG: Momentum builds in the House to pass a promising bill to reform FEMA On Wednesday, September 3rd, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed, by voice vote, the Fixing Emergency Management Act (FEMA) of 2025, a bipartisan bill to reform many aspects of ...

💸New sliding federal cost-share ranging from 65% to 85%
♥️Requirements to be more responsive to economically disadvantaged communities
✍️A simplified disaster application process with increased transparency

Read @appcitizenslaw.bsky.social new blog post:
reimagineappalachia.org/momentum-bui...
#FEMA

Momentum builds in the House to pass promising bill to reform FEMA - Appalachian Citizens' Law Center On Wednesday, September 3rd, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee passed, by voice vote, the Fixing Emergency Management Act (FEMA) of 2025, a bipartisan bill to reform many aspects of ...

Read more here:

Other unions support striking Libbey Glass workers at picket line Another day to strike for what they say should be fair pay, that’s what four union chapters are doing outside of Libbey Glass.

Four union chapters have been on strike and picketing outside the Libbey Glass factory in Toledo, OH, demanding fairer contracts and wages from Libbey Glass. ✊

loom.ly/I32Nzww

#Toledo
#UnitedSteelWorkers
#Picketing
#WorkersStrike

Chris DeCardy and Sara Innamorato: Our region's clean technology future — let's get to work Pittsburgh may have had more attention from our political leaders than any other region of the United States in the last four years. There are good reasons for that — there may be no region that...

Here's a galvanizing article by the Heinz Endowments' President and County Executive on why the Pittsburgh Region has greater potential than merely being a place that builds "warehouses to hold computer chips."

triblive.com/opinion/chri...

#Pittsburgh
@theheinzendowments.bsky.social

Check My Voter Registration - VOTE.pa Not sure if you’re registered to vote in Pennsylvania? Check your voter registration status or update it before the next election.

Your vote is your power! 💪 Don't let an outdated registration silence your voice. Secure your right to vote in this year’s retention election: vote.pa/check. #VotePA #PACourts