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.
Fact-Checking Fitzgerald on Fracking
In response to Pittsburgh protests over fracking and petrochemical development in the region, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald uttered a...
ORVI Insider #18: What’s the Future of the Ohio River?
ORVI Insider Vol. 18 June 15, 2021 What will our Ohio River look like in 10 years? To see the future of...
The Future of the Ohio River Is in Sri Lanka
To see the future of the Ohio River you can look to a place that is almost its antipode: the tropical coastal waters of Sri Lanka. It’s there, some...
REGROW Act Could Provide $1.7 Billion to Clean Up Hazardous Wells in Appalachia
In early April, we released a report outlining the benefits of plugging and cleaning up orphan and abandoned oil and gas wells in Appalachia. Since...
Appalachia Could Address Poverty and Build Worker Power by Reforesting Mine-scarred Land
This post is the second in a four-part series based on a recent ORVI report on abandoned mine land (AML) issues. Figures cited below can be found in...
ORVI Insider #17: Could a Former Coal Town in Washington Provide a Model for Appalachia’s Energy Transition?
ORVI Insider Vol. 17 May 25, 2021 Could a former coal town in Washington State provide a model for...
Jobs and equitable transition: Bridging the chasm between rhetoric and action
There was a time when the sight of rows of office workers hammering away at their Friden adding machines would have sent me into paroxysms of...
American Jobs Plan Can Accelerate Solar Power in West Virginia
As a recent article in Forbes noted, the ‘dam has broken’ in West Virginia for solar power. While solar energy comprises less than 0.2 percent of...
“What’s the alternative?”: Answering the hardest question asked by workers and communities that feel threatened by energy transition
At ORVI, we’ve documented the inability of the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries to serve as engines for job growth and prosperity in...
ORVI Insider #16: Cutting WV’s Coal Subsidies Could Open Up $56 Million in Revenue
ORVI Insider Vol. 16 May 11, 2021 Headlining our sixteenth newsletter is new research from Senior Researcher Ted...
Eliminate West Virginia Met Coal Subsidy to Assist Dislocated Coal Workers
Several weeks ago, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) released their plan for “Preserving Coal Country” amid national policy efforts to...
ORVI Insider #15: “Repairing the Damage” Sparks National Conversations on AML and Orphan Well Remediation
ORVI Insider Vol. 15 April 27, 2021 In this edition of our newsletter, we highlight coverage of...
ORVI Insider #14: Repairing the Damage from Appalachia’s Orphan Wells and Abandoned Mine Lands
ORVI Insider Vol. 14 April 14, 2021 For more than 150 years, Appalachia has provided the cheap energy that...
Repairing the Damage from Hazardous Abandoned Oil & Gas Wells
An analysis of the potential benefits of a large-scale federal program to plug abandoned oil and gas wells in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Repairing the Damage from Orphan Wells and Abandoned Mine Lands
For more than 150 years, Appalachia has provided the cheap energy that has powered the nation's industrial growth and helped construct the middle...