FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2026
LINK TO SIGN-ON LETTER: Here
CONTACT:
Dana Kuhnline, 513-601-9854, [email protected]
APPALACHIA – This week, more than two dozen national & state unions, nonprofits, and advocacy groups came together to send a letter urging Congress to restore and strengthen investments in Appalachia’s manufacturing sector for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27).
Federal dismantlement of manufacturing-related investment policy since the start of 2025 has led to a roughly 37 percent plunge in private investment in the manufacturing sector nationwide. As a result, U.S. Census Bureau data show that the nation has lost 277,000 manufacturing jobs in the last two years. The damage is especially acute across the four-state Ohio River Valley region, where clean energy and manufacturing investment remains well below its 2024 peaks — regional manufacturing investment in clean energy and clean tech sits 26 percent below its late-2023 high, and deployment of clean energy technologies is down 17 percent from its 2024 peak.
With globally competitive skills in producing metals, machinery, wood products, concrete, chemicals, and more, the region could generate almost twentyfold every dollar invested in manufacturing. Ahead of Labor Day, signers called on Congress to capitalize on the region’s historically high industrial productivity by investing in 21st-century manufacturing jobs, particularly in renewable energy and clean tech.
“The Ohio River Valley of Appalachia, better known as coal country, was home to the Industrial Revolution. Despite decades of global outsourcing, the region has retained its manufacturing strength, at least as compared to the nation as a whole. With strategy, focus, and targeted federal investments, the region can once again become a national hub for modernized manufacturing.” – Amanda Woodrum – Co-Executive Director, ReImagine Appalachia.
The letter called on Congress to invest in programs and partnerships that expand manufacturing investments while also supporting regional workforces and reflecting the manufacturing sector’s need to modernize.
The letter offered policy recommendations for helping regional industries expand into new and growing markets in the changing energy economy. Proposed solutions include supporting entry into clean industries by refocusing the Office of Energy Dominance Financing on innovative clean technologies. This would help create advanced manufacturing jobs while potentially lowering energy costs and improving public health in the long run. The letter also called for more robust support of the Advanced Energy Manufacturing and Recycling Grant Program to improve circularity and cut waste.
“The Appalachian region has been hit hard by the decline of the coal industry. Support for sustainable manufacturing in the region can grow business opportunities, provide good, well-paying jobs, and help to revitalize the region’s economy. Now is the time for federal support to rebuild Appalachia, which in turn will boost the nation’s economy.” – David Levine, Co-Founder & President, American Sustainable Business Network
“A fully funded federal budget–including support for advanced manufacturing, energy innovation, and workforce development–is essential to ensuring that American communities are prepared for the next generation of economic growth. These investments not only strengthen domestic supply chains and energy security, but also create opportunities for workers through apprenticeships, technical training, and career pathways into high-demand industries. The result is a stronger workforce, increased construction activity, and the foundation for long-term manufacturing growth and job creation.” – Justin Williams, Affiliated Construction Trades, West Virginia.
Thanks to an above-average number of trade schools and industrial facilities, Appalachia has much of the needed infrastructure to train thousands of new workers for good-paying union manufacturing jobs. The letter requests support for specific workforce development initiatives, such as the Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Program and the Registered Apprenticeship Program. By upskilling and providing career pathways in Appalachian communities, these programs can help address high levels of youth outmigration and ensure access to equivalent quality jobs to those lost in the region’s waning coal industry.
The letter further cautions against adopting the Make America Skilled Again (MASA) proposal, which would alter the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in a way that, according to the letter, would “erode programs that support workers with barriers to employment.” Appalachia has a disproportionately high number of folks disconnected from the workforce due to decades of economic decline leading to structural unemployment and the opioid epidemic. The coalition calls for increased federal investment in programs that remove barriers to workforce entry. This includes increasing access to transportation and affordable childcare, both of which are critical to ensuring people can get and maintain steady employment.
“The Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance is proud to support ReImagine Appalachia as a leader in developing sustainable, inclusive and equitable local manufacturing and business eco-systems.” – Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance
“As the Keystone State and an important part of the Ohio River Valley region, Pennsylvania can lead the way in producing reusable products and advancing reverse logistics, as well as in creating sustainable non-plastic packaging and textiles.” – Tamela Trussell, Founder, Move Past Plastic (MPP)
This sign-on letter is addressed to the Chairs and Vice Chairs of both the U.S. House’s and the U.S. Senate’s Appropriations Committees, which are currently drafting legislation for FY27. October 1 is the final deadline to either pass the budget or enact a continuing resolution to extend the deliberation period.
Signatories include:
ReImagine Appalachia
Affiliated Construction Trades – WV
American Sustainable Business Network
Breathe Project
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
Center for Employment Opportunities
Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
Conservation Voters of PA
Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR)
Federation for a Manufacturing Renaissance
Green Sanctuary Committee, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, Ohio
Hocking Hills Garment Center
Jobs & Hope West Virginia
Johnstown Area Regional Industries (JARI)
Kentucky Environmental Foundation
Keystone Research Center
Latino Farmers and Ranchers International
Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network
Mountain Association
Move Past Plastic (MPP)
National Wildlife Federation
Rivers of Steel
Rural Action
United Steelworkers (USW)
Urban Manufacturing Alliance, Inc.
About ReImagine Appalachia
ReImagine Appalachia is a coalition working to ensure Appalachia is a leader in the clean energy economy and that the new economy creates good jobs and strengthens communities.