Curtis Tate Published

Appalachian States Getting $33 Million For Economic Development

A woman in a blue dress stands a the center of a group in a wood-clad high school gymnasium.
Gayle Manchin, center, is federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission. She visited Charleston in May 2021 with first lady Jill Biden and actress Jennifer Garner.
Curtis Tate / West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Listen

The Appalachian Regional Commission announced grants Tuesday totaling $33 million to 13 states including West Virginia.

ARC federal co-chair Gayle Manchin announced the funding to a group of federal, state and local officials at the Tamarack Conference Center.

The $33 million in ARISE grants – that stands for the Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies – is the largest award in the program’s history.

The funds will support disaster recovery, cybersecurity training and economic development in the region.

Community colleges in all 13 ARC states will receive funding to train a cybersecurity workforce.

The Appalachian Service Project will establish a natural disaster recovery and home rebuild network.

The Volunteer Energy Cooperative will develop a battery supply chain for utility scale batteries.

Other funds will support health care, outdoor recreation, food sustainability and aviation industry education.