Clean Power Digest: Shale Gas Jobs
Last week, the Ohio River Valley Institute (ORVI) published a Report on the status of the fracking industry in Pennsylvania – Shale Gas in Pennsylvania: 2026. Sean O’Leary’s Report updates previous ORVI Research Papers: Frackalachia 2025, Frackalachia Update 2023, and Misplaced Faith 2022. The 2026 Report analyzes 2025 employment data from the U.S. Bureau of […]
How Allegheny County’s paid parental leave policy could kickstart economic growth
Allegheny County’s paid parental leave proposal could grow jobs & wages, curb population loss, support small businesses, and ease labor shortages in critical sectors.
Investing in Pennsylvania’s Future: RISE PA’s Awards Could Support More Than 1,700 Job-Years for Workers
Pennsylvania’s RISE PA decarbonization program is proving that cutting carbon emissions can spur economic growth.
The Warren-Moreno proposal prevents Social Security cuts that could cost elderly Appalachians over $4,000 per year.
Alarm bells are ringing in Washington, D.C., with the Trump Administration warning that Social Security is projected to become insolvent in 2032. This would trigger an automatic 22% cut to benefits for over 70 million elderly or disabled Americans who rely, at least in part, on the program. Debate is swirling this week, as two […]
The Appalachianization of America’s Economy
AI-driven economic growth is exposing investment and GDP growth as misleading measures of prosperity and as misguided goals for local economic development strategies.
Why Data Centers Will Be Economic Development Duds
Data centers are highly capital intensive, non-labor intensive enterprises that create few jobs & inject little money into host communities.
Tariffs and Appalachia
New tariffs on Mexico, China, and Canada stand to cut jobs, raise consumer prices, and shrink GDP in the short term in manufacturing- and energy-dependent Appalachia.
Uncertainty Remains for Essential Programs After Gov. Shapiro’s Lawsuit Unfreezes Federal Funds for PA
Last week, I joined a group of Pennsylvania advocates and policy experts for a press event on the critical situation facing businesses, community service organizations, and municipalities across the Commonwealth, one that demands our immediate attention and continued vigilance. The Trump administration recently took the unprecedented step of withholding over $2.1 billion in Congressionally approved […]
EV Charging Station Funding Freeze Forfeits More Than $400 Million and Over 3,500 Ohio River Valley Job Opportunities
On February 6, 2025, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a memo suspending the ability of states and tribes to spend previously approved grants for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. Regional media has speculated that the suspension is part of a widespread effort by the Trump administration to roll back or freeze dollars allocated to […]