Local elected officials across Appalachia:

All infrastructure is local – and it’s our mayors, council members, and county commissioners who struggle first-hand with the devastating impact of catastrophic weather events, aging infrastructure, failing electric grids, absentee corporations, and declining tax bases. When communities suffer, local government bears the brunt. At the same time, local elected officials are uniquely positioned to understand that economic, environmental, and public health challenges are bigger than our municipal borders.

Appalachia has been hit the hardest by widespread climate impacts and lack of holistic economic planning. Polluted lands are making us sick, job loss leaves us struggling to make ends meet, and lack of broadband access is hindering our access to health care and education. That is why over 130 local elected officials across West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio endorsed our ambitious Appalachian Climate Infrastructure Plan, demanding action from federal officials.

The plan calls for a mix of federal funding and private investment to create nearly one half-million stable, meaningful, and family-sustaining jobs, bringing our region into a model 21st century economy.

We want to publicly thank our local elected officials for their courage in standing up for climate-forward investments in Appalachia; their support was instrumental in our coalition’s advocacy, and together we celebrated the power of democracy and the passage of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 and Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The truth is that too much of the discussion around climate planning and federal infrastructure investment has been driven by the heavily-weighted populations of the East and West Coast. We in Appalachia have been rising together to lead this national conversation. We know our economy should celebrate our local culture and heritage, invest in the health of communities, and value the contributions of coal miners and other fossil fuel industry workers. 

Our work worked.

In the fall of 2021 we celebrated as President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) that provided funding for our priorities. The federal Interagency Working Group on Coal Communities continues to provide additional support. Our coalition is working hard to ensure our communities have the capacity to apply for these complex grants, and planning needed to implement ambitious projects with community and labor benefits.

In August of 2022, we saw the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the most sweeping infrastructure and climate spending bill in this century. You can read more about “What’s in the Inflation Reduction Act for Appalachia?” in our blog post here. Overall, the package provides $369 billion in climate and energy spending, includes $10 billion to support rural communities’ transition to renewable energy, and permanently extends the Black Lung Excise Tax, which provides miners with medical care and a modest living stipend. 

Yet we know that with the passage of the bills, our work is just beginning. Each year we see increasing dangerous weather events, rolling blackouts, droughts, and flooding that are destroying homes, roads, and bridges – and the incalculable loss of human lives. Local officials know that turning a blind eye to these crises will not make them go away – with each passing season, the need for increased investment grows exponentially. 

Our greatest challenge can be our greatest opportunity, and we honor our local and federal officials who have had the courage and vision to capture this moment. We continue to forge a brighter future.

Even with the passage of these momentous infrastructure bills, we still need to work with our federal agencies to ensure that we get the resources we deserve. We would still love you support in our work: