Economic Diversification in Appalachia’s Coal-Impacted Communities

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awarded nearly $54 million to 64 projects in 217 counties through its POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative, which directs federal resources to economic diversification projects in Appalachian communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries. Included in the awards is a grant of $2,500,000 to Washington County, Pennsylvania, for Washington County's East Finley Broadband Expansion project. This project will enable Washington County to contract with a preferred vendor to expand the provision of high-speed broadband services to 857 unserved locations in East Finley Township. The preferred vendor will design, build, maintain, and own a broadband network to make available a full suite of services, including broadband service, voice, video, and home security. This project is part of phase III of Washington County’s county-wide internet access expansion effort. The contract for high-speed internet services will provide economic and educational benefits to 808 unserved or underserved residences and 49 unserved or underserved businesses over the course of the grant period.