LNG exports are contributing to all-time high residential electricity rates and LNG capacity is set to grow even more, according to EIA. At the same time, top Appalachian gas producers have secured contracts with LNG terminals on the Gulf: https://ow.ly/XHs450YXTtr

💬 "I can’t think of a worse use of public funds than to incentivize data centers. They are associated with very few permanent jobs and high external costs." https://ow.ly/j5L450YXAlU

Properties luring data center projects have about a 5% probability of being developed, Sean O'Leary explains. Property owners are “trying desperately to differentiate their properties from the thousands on the market for data center development." https://ow.ly/xPEt50YWbIo

Data centers, liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, and pipeline development are shaping the future of natural gas production in Appalachia. Our latest blog post outlines what to expect. https://ow.ly/BmsJ50YXTfn

Hundreds of old coal mines scar the Kentucky countryside—but with an influx of federal infrastructure money, reclamation projects are restoring the countryside and putting Kentuckians to work: https://ow.ly/LbsX50YVJ7t

Electricity prices continued to climb higher in April, according to Heatmap and MIT’s Electricity Price Hub. Prices in April 2026 were 6.7% higher, on average, than the same month the previous year. https://heatmap.news/energy/electricity-prices-april-2026

💬 "A legal challenge to the fossil fuel project faces dismissal, which would let the developer advance even as similar local pushback stifles Ohio’s solar buildout." More from Kathiann Kowalski and Canary Media Inc.: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/fossil-fuels/ohio-court-fracking-waste

State legislatures are racing to regulate data centers. The number of data center-related bills introduced by state lawmakers has more than quintupled since 2021, reflecting mounting community concerns: https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/state-capitols-are-catching-up-to-the-data-center-boom/

COMMENTARY: For as long as West Virginia has existed, the abundant natural resources beneath our feet have created wealth for outsiders, from the timber that built our nation’s railroads to the coal and natural gas that powered America, while poverty has plagued our own people, writes Kelly Allen.

Pyrolysis, also known as "chemical recycling," is an inefficient, energy-intensive, and expensive process. The financial viability of pyrolysis operations has depended on both public subsidies and plastic buyers’ willingness to pay a “green premium.” https://ow.ly/Io1w50YVinC

“Most people think coal mining is a thing of the past. Meanwhile, we see more people being diagnosed with black lung disease than we ever have before.” https://ow.ly/lznQ50YW47F

The market seems to have lost confidence in Clean Vision, the parent company of Clean-Seas West Virginia. Clean-Seas' proposed pyrolysis facility in Belle has faced regulatory issues and financial setbacks, raising questions about the project's future: https://ow.ly/oKJX50YVApJ

Clean-Seas’ pyrolysis facility in Belle, WV appears to be in serious financial trouble. New research uncovers questions about the project’s compliance with the requirements of a multimillion-dollar, state-guaranteed loan: https://ow.ly/1iLY50YVhQB

"While Ohioans’ electric bills go up, so does the pay of the top dogs of companies that sell it." https://ow.ly/IFKq50YUx7t

West Virginia’s largest data center campus proposals would consume 123 million MWh of electricity each year, more than 3.7 times as much as the entire state of West Virginia. https://ow.ly/RqkJ50YT1Hc

Since 2024, Freepoint Eco-Systems’ plastic waste processing facility has received multiple citizen complaints of soot emissions, venting, smoke clouds, and flaring, as well as four notices of violation from the Ohio EPA: https://ow.ly/1lQe50YRvzo

In Kentucky, more damage from abandoned mines is being remediated with help from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Our latest report shows reclamation is supporting more good-paying jobs in rural counties that need them: https://ow.ly/Q96q50YRvHT

Data centers and "King Coal" are sending West Virginia utility bills higher than the average mortgage: https://ow.ly/ozHV50YRvoi

This afternoon, Gov. Shapiro announced the first tranche of medium- and large-scale Reducing Industrial Sector Emissions in Pennsylvania (RISE PA) grant award winners in Johnstown. Check out our statement on today's #RISEPA funding announcement: https://ow.ly/eYqX50YRioK

A "perfect storm" is crushing West Virginia residents, driven by an expensive reliance on coal, a new surge of power-hungry data centers, and a mix of other factors that are ratcheting up utility costs across the country. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/data-centers-king-coal-send-190939500.html

“Our future will depend on resilient, sustainable communities with living-wage jobs, good schools, safe streets and roads, clean air and water, and other essential public services, including a strong social safety net to protect families.” https://ow.ly/hP0Y50YLoC5

🕚 Starting soon! Join us: bit.ly/repairing-the-damage-ky

The nation’s federal workforce shrank by 10.3% in 2025. Last July, we quantified the potential impact of federal job cuts in the Ohio River Valley, home to roughly 191,500 federal employees just before the start of Trump’s second term: https://ow.ly/wkFk50YLoFy

WV has suffered 78 fatal mining incidents since 2010, incl. two this month. Aaron Warrix and Darin Reece died following incidents at mines with long safety violation histories—days after Trump proposed new cuts for federal coal mine safety enforcement: https://ow.ly/17tP50YLoyH

“I don’t understand how we’re even here, because [Shell] can’t even stay within existing permit limits.” Shell's plant has racked up dozens of air pollution violations—but hasn't been fined—since its consent agreement & $10M settlement in 2023: https://www.alleghenyfront.org/shell-plastic-permit/

Kentucky’s abandoned mine land (AML) reclamation market has surged since the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), creating good-paying jobs and cleaning up hazardous coal mine damage, our new report finds. Join us this Thursday for more: bit.ly/repairing-the-damage-ky

West Virginia regulators should deny Mon Power’s gas plant proposal in Monongalia County. The 1200 MW combined-cycle power plant proposal, designed to meet anticipated demand growth from data centers, could raise costs for utility customers: https://ow.ly/zbMo50YLol0

The Department of Energy’s plan to salvage ARCH2 is “preposterous.” Despite high costs, insufficient hydrogen demand, and other challenges, reports indicate that federal officials have decided to retain or modify funding for the Appalachian Hydrogen Hub: https://ow.ly/bEpu50YLooF

"The US is undergoing a dramatic shift in energy policy as Trump wields government’s sweeping powers to benefit coal & suppress cleaner alternatives. It could lead to more expensive electricity and dirtier air and set back efforts to curb climate change." https://ow.ly/9fA850YIYfb

Data centers don't provide many jobs. And claims of GDP growth don't often translate into local economic prosperity. Just look at Ohio's largest fracking counties—despite skyrocketing GDP growth, these counties remain "among the poorest in the entire US." https://ow.ly/4ZTK50YIZxC

West Virginians are angry and perplexed over soaring utility costs that are surpassing rents and mortgages in one of the most energy-rich, yet poorest, corners of America, where some families have been forced to choose between paying for food or heat: https://ow.ly/QTzv50YGIb0

The 11-county Philly metro area lost nearly 4,000 federal jobs from Jan. 2025 to Feb. 2026, representing a 16.7% decline, the Inquirer reports. Our research has more details on the impact of federal funding cuts throughout the Ohio River Valley region: https://ow.ly/n3iB50YFEHe

Rising power bills are compounding economic strain in West Virginia. Researcher Ted Boettner explains why the rising cost of coal—and other factors—are driving electricity rates sky-high in the Mountain State: https://ow.ly/Jj7550YIaMw #WestVirginia #electricity #utilityrates

Nippon Steel, the new owner of U.S. Steel, ranked second to last in a climate survey of eighteen steelmaking firms' progress toward transitioning away from coal. https://ow.ly/R6fC50YEVAt

Trump’s FEMA cuts have rendered flood-prone rural counties “sitting ducks for the next disaster.” The agency will restart the nation’s largest grant program for disaster preparedness after a yearlong absence, but competition for funding could be intense: https://ow.ly/6BoC50YEVu3

Did you know? Coal makes up about 87% of power generation in West Virginia, while renewable energy—wind, conventional hydroelectric, and solar—comprises about 7%. Natural gas accounts for 6%. https://ow.ly/p6lA50YETQC

Pennsylvania added 10,000 jobs in the education and health services industries in January, boosting total nonfarm jobs to a new state record. Ian Karbal https://ow.ly/LVXx50YEUkF

Why are West Virginia power bills so high? For one, West Virginia is producing—and exporting—much less electricity today than it was three decades ago. Between its peak in 2002 and 2024, net electricity production declined by 47%. https://ow.ly/kaMa50YETHj

Proposed “blue” ammonia plants could cost taxpayers billions per year—if any are ever built. Two factors are driving the prospective ammonia buildout in the US: potential new markets and carbon capture subsidies, Zane Gustafson’s latest blog explains. https://ow.ly/y33N50YEUsX

Wind and solar paired with battery storage offers reliable American power at the lowest cost. But the Trump administration is killing off clean, cheap energy, doubling down instead on unsecure, unreliable, and expensive oil & gas. https://ow.ly/xK4E50YEU35

📈 In WV, some residents are paying more for their monthly electric bill than their mortgage payment. Why have electricity rates soared over the last 20 years? The short answer is coal, which provides nearly 87% of the state’s total power generation. https://ow.ly/zAhn50YETsi

🤔 Details on Google’s Putnam County, WV data center plans are scarce. Local concerns are numerous. Senior Researcher Sean O'Leary explains that expensive, non-labor-intensive development projects, like data centers, rarely deliver on promises of lasting job growth: https://ow.ly/1LLV50YChuY

☀️ This week, the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection awarded nearly $5 million to manufacturing projects focusing on reducing industrial emissions and improving air quality, including five new solar projects. https://ow.ly/xQSs50YCPmQ

🆕: The war in Iran has introduced major short-term issues in global ammonia supply chains. Meanwhile, two long-term factors are driving US ammonia buildout: potential new markets and carbon capture subsidies. More: https://ow.ly/Pur050YBV5m

🆕: In West Virginia, some residents pay more for their monthly electric bill than their mortgage payment. There are several reasons why West Virginia’s rates have soared recently. The short answer is coal. The longer answer is more complicated: https://ow.ly/vx0f50YBVfb

Cleveland-Cliffs looks ready to lock its Middletown Works steel mill into using fossil fuels for the next two decades or more. It's a step backwards for US steelmakers—and one that could leave Cliffs further behind a rapidly decarbonizing global market. https://ow.ly/YjhN50YzSa7

📉 Coke, a coal-derived fuel used in steelmaking, is on the decline. Our research describes why it's more critical than ever for US steelmakers to transition from outdated coke-based methods to cleaner, more efficient steelmaking technologies. https://ow.ly/srHB50Yzjfv

Three years after a Norfolk-Southern train derailed in East Palestine, OH, sparking one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, a new bill aims to establish extra safety checks & updated rules for the transportation of hazardous materials. https://ow.ly/zCGt50YzS32

West Virginia ratepayers will shoulder $572M in costs over the life of the transmission line project, triple 2025 estimates of $185M. The line will provide no direct benefits to West Virginia, as NextEra has no customers in the state. https://ow.ly/x6aG50YzRJt

Ohioans are souring on data center development. Last week, Senior Researcher Sean O'Leary explained to WFMJ-Youngstown why new data center proposals are unlikely to create many jobs or spur local economic development: https://ow.ly/XSNr50YAMpX