Our statement on the air permit approval for Clean-Seas' plastics pyrolysis plant in Belle, West Virginia: https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/statement-on-air-permit-approval-for-clean-seas-plastics-pyrolysis-plant/

Clean Vision Corporation’s financial problems and project delays raise questions about the State of West Virginia’s support for the company’s Clean-Seas plastics pyrolysis project in Belle: https://ow.ly/4aGG50ZvOHg

Allegheny County’s paid parental leave policy could kickstart economic growth, growing the local workforce by up to 5,000 workers and adding up to $215 million in wages to the local economy. https://ow.ly/mpkA50Zx7i1

US methanol exports: 📈

Data going back two decades — to the start of the fracking boom — show a natural gas industry that has done little to stimulate job growth, raise wages and incomes, or stem population losses in Pennsylvania. In some cases, it may have worsened these trends. https://ow.ly/W7mU50ZxHmY

It's said that, ultimately, people vote with their feet. Pennsylvania’s largest gas-producing counties are suffering significant, sustained population loss, even as the state has added residents, according to our latest report: https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/shale-gas-in-pennsylvania-2026/

Data centers are economic development duds, Sean O'Leary explains: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/data-center-industry-expands-hopes-in-western-pa-but-its-future-remains-uncertain-2/

US methanol exports increased from 144,000 metric tons in 2013 to over 4 million metric tons in 2024. About half of US exports enter the European Union market; more than a quarter are destined for South Korea. https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/the-methanol-industry-at-a-crossroads/

Clean Vision's track record of delayed & abandoned projects "doesn’t inspire hope for how [the Clean-Seas plastics pyrolysis plant] would operate in Kanawha County if given approval to move forward." Residents are pushing back on the facility's proposed air permit: https://ow.ly/nHMK50ZvMWI

💥 Beaver County’s petrochemical “boom” has turned out to be a bust.

There is no evidence that Shell's multibillion-dollar petrochemicals plant has boosted Beaver County's economic growth when compared to surrounding communities. In fact, federal data show that Beaver County’s GDP declined at a steeper rate than neighboring counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The future of methanol buildout in North America is far less certain than industry forecasts suggest, according to our latest report.

🩺 Care work is a critical part of the US economy. Since the start of the second Trump administration, more than 100% of job growth has come from the healthcare and social assistance sector, according to Platypus Economics’ Justin Wolfers.

The gas-fired power plant proposal is a risky and expensive solution to a problem that may not even exist, Senior Researcher Sean O'Leary explains: https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/gridlocked/

⛽️💰 Billions of dollars in methanol projects face an uncertain future, according to our latest report. Join us for the release webinar next Tuesday: https://bit.ly/methanol-crossroads

Change in employment since the announcement of Shell’s petrochemical complex in 2012: 📉 Beaver: -11.25% 📈 Pennsylvania: +8.50% 📈 US: +18.22% More: https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/beaver-county-data-analysis-2026-update/

There is "no conceivable way" carbon capture can solve the climate crisis, according to a new ProPublica investigation. https://projects.propublica.org/why-carbon-capture-cant-solve-climate-change/

⚡️ PJM operates on a coal- and gas-reliant "base load" grid. Texas' flexible grid is cheaper, cleaner, and more efficient. https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/base-load-vs-flexible-grid/

Senior Researcher Ted Boettner explains to Mountain State Spotlight how diversifying West Virginia's electric mix could help lower rates and retire coal plants that are too expensive to keep running. https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2026/07/02/power-bills-budget-energy-costs/

🆕🔌 Data center buildout is accelerating electricity demand growth & rate hikes in the PJM region. Policymakers now face a critical decision: should the region double down on the traditional “base load” model—or build a more flexible, modern grid? https://ow.ly/Wz4V50ZiR3y

The "Frackalachianization" of the US economy? Data centers have become the primary driver of US GDP growth. But much like the Appalachian fracking boom, the sector's huge contributions to economic output haven't translated into jobs or local prosperity: https://ow.ly/ST9E50ZigZB

Social Security cuts would have an outsized impact in Appalachian counties, which have nearly 8.3% more Social Security recipients per capita than the country: https://ow.ly/Ely550ZhBIf

More than 70 million elderly or disabled Americans rely, at least in part, on the Social Security program. The Warren-Moreno proposal to lift the program's payroll tax cap would bring in over $3 trillion, keeping Social Security solvent into the next generation: https://ow.ly/p6ef50ZhAAR

As capital-intensive data centers proliferate, host communities could see the same relentless declines in jobs, incomes, population, and overall prosperity—despite skyrocketing GDP—that plagued Appalachia during the shale gas boom. https://ow.ly/Xuep50ZfUVm

Pennsylvania’s substantial tax breaks for petrochemical development have failed to spur more private investment in major projects and generate sectoral job growth, IEEFA finds: https://ow.ly/JPEu50Zfi2C

As the Public Service Commission considers West Virginia’s long-term energy plans, alternatives to costly new gas plants can help ensure a more resilient and reliable grid. https://ohiorivervalleyinstitute.org/the-psc-must-do-whats-right-for-west-virginia/

West Virginia's reliance on a coal-based power system has come at a price. Sean O'Leary describes how the state's Public Service Commission can act now to curb rising electricity rates: https://ow.ly/EL0F50ZcJv6

Pennsylvania's energy-intensive manufacturing sector is "both a major source of emissions and one of the best near-term opportunities to deploy cleaner, more efficient technology,” according to a new report from The 2035 Initiative: https://ow.ly/Kgoe50ZcIP5

When orphaned oil and gas wells sit unplugged, hissing and smelling, they cause a whole host of problems: methane leaks, water pollution, property damage. But plugging them is difficult—and it can cost up to $125,000 in West Virginia. https://ow.ly/I4BB50Z9sxC

In 2023, the top 10% of Ohio residents earned 33.7% of all income, while the bottom 90% earned 66.4% of all income. In other words, the top 10% of earners earn nearly twice as much income as the bottom 50%. More: https://ow.ly/H1Lu50Z9raZ