Appalachian Regional Commission Announces Research Series Examining the Impacts of Declining Coal Production on the Region’s Economy

January 2018


 
Reports find that dramatic decreases in Appalachia’s coal production over the last decade have put many regional industries at risk for economic change

Contact: Wendy Wasserman, wwasserman@arc.gov, 202.884.7771
WASHINGTON, D.C., January 25, 2018—Today, the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) released An Economic Analysis of the Appalachian Coal Industry Ecosystem, a new research series examining how Appalachia’s coal industry ecosystem (CIE) is being impacted due to changes in the coal industry. The research—presented in five reports—is the first comprehensive assessment of current and potential effects the changing coal industry can have on the Appalachian Region.

The research explores some of the current and future economic effects of declining coal production on various components of Appalachia’s CIE, including supply chain industries, electric power generation, and transportation, as well as funding implications for K–12 education. The findings of the reports suggest that as effects from declining coal production ripple through the components of the CIE, the impacts will extend far beyond the communities where coal is produced—touching communities throughout Appalachia.

“This research illustrates, with hard data, what many Appalachians in coal communities already know—coal miners, transportation systems, and community resources all take an economic hit when the region’s coal economy changes,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Earl F. Gohl. “This study can help provide the foundation for identifying opportunities and strategies for building a more resilient regional economy.”

The five reports in this study include: This research was conducted by West Virginia University and the University of Tennessee with funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission through the POWER Initiative, a congressionally funded initiative to help Appalachian communities and regions that have been affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries due to the changing economics of America's energy production.

“This project is among the widest-ranging assessments of the coal industry ecosystem in Appalachia,” said Randall Jackson, director of the project and of the Regional Research Institute at West Virginia University. “This research focuses on how the coal economy has played out in our region, including its direct contributions, its supply chain relations with other industries such as transportation and energy generation, its implications for future industrial development, and the wide-ranging impacts on education and human capital. It offers a valuable foundation for addressing many of the challenges facing Appalachia in the coming years.”

About the Appalachian Regional Commission
The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 420 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC's mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia to help the Region achieve socioeconomic parity with the nation.