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.
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.
Falling Further Behind
The lagging US steel industry risks falling further behind—absent large-scale investment in low- or zero-emissions “green” steelmaking.
Clean Power Digest: the PA Supreme Court’s retention race, data centers, retail electricity prices, and more
Attached please find a PA Digest for October 30, 2025 and a copy of a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study on energy prices (and data...
Clean Power Digest: RISE PA progress, clean energy funding cuts, soaring utility bills, and more
Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) Update RISE PA is a $396 million statewide industrial decarbonization grant program...
Expanding data center demand near Appalachia could slow down regional decarbonization efforts
Further decarbonizing the PJM grid is functionally impossible unless Appalachia replaces gas-fired generation with zero-carbon electricity.
New, overlapping pipeline proposals are redundant–and unnecessary
Two competing pipeline proposals would increase Appalachian natural gas flows to southern Virginia and North Carolina.
What’s happening with MERP in Ohio River Valley states?
The Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) is facing serious setbacks. Here’s how states are implementing the MERP funding they’ve received so far.
An Economic Impact Analysis of a Planned Plastics Pyrolysis Facility in Follansbee, West Virginia
A pyrolysis project in Follansbee, WV is unlikely to create many jobs or generate much tax revenue for local and state budgets, modeling suggests.
The Ammonia Industry Expansion Begins To Falter
Less than three months after its July passage, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is already reducing the planned expansion of ammonia and hydrogen...
Beaver County’s Economy Flounders while Neighboring Counties Prosper
Beaver County, home to Shell’s $14B plastics plant, lags behind neighboring counties in job and business growth.
Green Banks, Solar Policy, Federal Energy Tax Credits, and More — BIL/IRA Implementation Digest
Green Banks - Clean Communities Investment Accelerator & National Clean Investment Fund Updates Appeals court says EPA can recover ‘green bank’...
With Starfire Set to Break Ground on Landmark Kentucky Solar Project, Local Hiring Should Be a Priority
A landmark three-county solar array is coming to Southeast Kentucky’s coalfields, promising to be one of the nation’s largest renewables projects...
Celebrating 5 years of ORVI
A Big Beautiful Blow to the Ammonia Industry
Tucked deep in the mammoth One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) that President Trump signed into law on July 4th is a provision that threatens the planned...
As Ford Touts EV “Breakthrough” Announcement at Unionized Plant in Kentucky, Workers at Its Nearby Joint Venture Battery Plant Prepare for Contested Union Election
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —— Ford, the nation’s largest employer of UAW autoworkers, will reveal plans to design and build a new electric vehicle and EV...