CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), both members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced 15 Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) grants totaling $14,716,938 from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

“As the ranking member of the committee that oversees ARC, I know how critical the POWER program is to strengthening coal communities across our state,” Ranking Member Capito said. “The grants announced today will support a range of local awardees focused on everything from broadband expansion, which my committee included specific language for in the ARC’s reauthorization, to workforce development. I’m looking forward to the benefits West Virginia’s counties, cities, and towns will see as a result.”

“The Appalachian Regional Commission’s continued investment in revitalizing and strengthening Appalachia is great news for our state and the entire region. The funding announced today will help expand high-speed broadband access, bolster our agricultural industry and create new economic opportunity for West Virginians across the state,” Senator Manchin said. “Investing in our local communities creates good-paying jobs and spurs economic growth, and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts of these projects for the Mountain State.”

Individual awardees and project titles:

  • Summers County Commission: Summers County Broadband Expansion Project – $2,400,000

  • Boone County Community & Economic Development Corporation: Rock Creek Development Park Broadband Project – $1,692,507

  • Region 4 Planning & Development Council: Creating WV’s Largest Maple Syrup, Mushroom, Field, and Floriculture Production Systems – $1,500,000

  • Grow Ohio Valley, Inc.: Wheeling Food Ventures: Small Farm and Food Business Acceleration in the Ohio Valley – $1,500,000

  • Region 4 Planning & Development Council: Turning Coal to Gold: Boosting the Outdoor Economy through the Snowshoe Highlands Ride Center – $1,500,000

  • Marshall University Research Corporation: West Virginia Grant Resource Centers – $1,500,000

  • Mountain State Educational Services Cooperative: Seeing West Virginia’s Future Through a Different Lens – $1,499,998

  • Connec Train Corp: Data Cabling & Fiber Optic Installation Training Program – $1,370,039

  • Marshall University Research Corporation: Career Opportunities for Appalachian Legacy (C.O.A.L.) – $1,118,814
  • Bluefield Economic Development Authority: BEDA Food Truck Incubator Project – $400,000

  • City of Elkins: EAST Trail Master Plan – $50,000

  • Fahe, Inc.: Fahe West Virginia Workforce Alliance – $50,000

  • West Virginia University Research Corporation: Workforce Development Roadmap: Re-Training for Electric Utility and Other Energy Sector Jobs, Pre-Apprenticeship to Job Placement – $50,000

  • Augusta Levy Learning Center (ALLC): Workforce & Education Development for Applied Behavior Analysis – $50,000

  • Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.: West Virginia Historic Preservation Training Center – $35,580

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