Federal legislation would provide power initiative with additional $1B in funding

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Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would provide the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) POWER Initiative with an additional $1 billion.

Congress appropriated $180 million for ARC in fiscal year 2021. In President Joe Biden’s budget proposal for 2022, he requested $235 million for ARC and an additional $1 billion specifically for the POWER program. The Resources to Expand Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (RE-POWER) Act authorized that request.

“Too many people continue to struggle to make ends meet across our region,” U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA), who co-introduced the bill, said. “Investing in the Appalachian Regional Commission will support programs that will fuel job creation and economic opportunity. The RE-POWER Act is a smart investment that will pay big dividends for western PA and beyond.”

The initiative supports comprehensive strategies to strengthen Appalachia’s economic recovery and workforce-to-recovery. It has invested more than $238 million since 2015 in 293 projects in 353 counties across Appalachia that have leveraged more than $1.1 billion in additional private investment and have created or retained more than 26,000 jobs.

Investments include 45 projects in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) co-introduced the bill.

Reimagine Appalachia and its coalition members endorsed the bill.