A comprehensive new report from ReImagine Appalachia is sounding the alarm about the region's clean energy future, revealing that 67% of projected jobs—over 61,000 positions—are now hanging in the balance due to dramatic policy changes.

The detailed study, "Tracking the Appalachian Impacts: What's on the Line as Federal Funding Flatlines", meticulously tracks quarterly data from 2018 through Q3 2025, examining investments across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

Researchers documented a stunning trajectory of growth and subsequent stagnation in clean energy investments. After tripling from 2021 to 2024 and peaking at $4.7 billion in Q3 2024, investments have now dramatically flatlined, with energy and industry expenditures plummeting from $1.27 billion to just $445 million by Q3 2025.

The report's co-authors paint a stark picture of potential lost opportunities. "These were transforming our communities, creating good-paying jobs that don't require college degrees," said Diana Polson. "Now we're watching those opportunities slip away as federal funding flatlines."

Case studies highlighted in the analysis underscore the human impact, including stalled projects like industrial efficiency upgrades at Cleveland-Cliffs Corporation, workforce development programming by Landforce, and delayed renewable energy initiatives in West Virginia.

Rike Rothenstein, another report co-author, emphasized the rapid evolution and subsequent halt of clean energy manufacturing. "The data tells a stark story," she noted. "Clean energy manufacturing grew from nearly nothing in 2018 to substantial investments by 2023, with 72% going to battery manufacturing and 19% to zero-emissions vehicles. But the momentum has stopped."

Dana Kuhnline, the third co-author, stressed the particularly devastating potential impact on blue-collar workers. "What's especially concerning is that the majority of threatened jobs are in construction and manufacturing—exactly the kind of work our communities need most," she explained.

The report warns that proposed legislation like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could further undermine these critical economic opportunities, potentially raising residential energy prices and ceding America's clean energy leadership to international competitors.

As Appalachian communities stand at this critical crossroads, the report serves as both a warning and a call to action, highlighting the urgent need to protect and nurture emerging green economic opportunities.