Research
The Ohio River Valley Institute examines some of the region’s most pressing challenges. We provide policy analysis and practical tools for building a stronger Appalachia. All of our research is available for you to cite, use, and share, per our free use policy.
An Overview of the Norfolk Southern Train Derailment and Hazardous Chemical Spill in East Palestine, Ohio
Information contained within this post is current as of its publication on February 23, 2023. Due to the fluid nature of the situation...
Housing Damage from the 2022 Kentucky Flood
In a new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute and Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, we estimate it will cost $450 to 950 million to rebuild...
The Road to Flood Disaster Recovery: Resources for Housing and Outstanding Need
In a new report from the Ohio River Valley Institute and Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center, we estimate it will cost $450 to 950 million to...
The East Palestine train derailment is petrochemical harm at its worst. For the industry, it’s a cost of doing business.
On Friday, February 3, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous petrochemicals derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, sparking what may be...
Black workers helped build Appalachia’s economy. Today, they’re still shortchanged.
Here’s a name you don’t often read in Appalachian history books: Bill Worthington. Bill was a Black coal miner from Harlan County, Kentucky,...
2022 in Review
The close of 2022 marks the second year of the Ohio River Valley Institute’s research on clean energy, shared prosperity, and equitable civic...
First Tranche of Federal Orphan Well Funds Out the Door
In August of 2022, the US Department of Interior (DOI) announced it awarded 24 states $560 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law...
Diversified Energy’s Questionable Financial Practices Continue in 2022
Despite Diversified Energy’s questionable business model, the company’s total liabilities have exceeded its assets.
Updated Economics for Virgin Plastics
The global petrochemical industry is facing a severe “cycle low,” raising doubts about the viability of new development and the profitability of Shell’s new Pennsylvania ethane cracker.
A Clean Energy Pathway for Southwestern Pennsylvania
Our blueprint for clean energy transition, the region’s first, would create jobs and curb emissions more effectively than natural gas- and carbon capture-powered pathways.
Fact-checking Pennsylvania Politicians’ Blue Hydrogen Hype in the Wake of House Bill 1059
Last week, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law House Bill 1059, an amendment to the state’s Tax Reform Code that, among other...
Inflation & Natural Gas: A Disease and its Carrier
Natural gas enters your home through your furnace, your appliances, and even through the electricity you use, much of which comes from...
Industry is Misleading the Public on Carbon Capture, Internal Documents Show
Fossil fuel companies are misleading the public about carbon capture technology, according to internal documents unearthed as part of an...
Worker Housing: A Pressing Economic Development Need, an Important Economic Development Tool—The Case of Ohio
Economic growth—the expansion and enrichment of business activity—is a narrow goal, easy to explain and understand: “More jobs for the...
ORVI Makes Waves at the 2022 Global Clean Energy Action Forum
Last week marked the close of the Clean Energy Ministerial’s inaugural Global Clean Energy Action Forum, a three-day conference on accelerating the...