Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $7,953,459 through the Appalachian Regional Commission’s (ARC) Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Grant Program for organizations across West Virginia. In addition to providing a variety of new services to West Virginians, the investments are expected to create new jobs and attract private investment to the state.

“The POWER grants are a great investment in West Virginia and I am glad that the ARC is serious about helping coal communities across our state with this funding. These investments will help create the jobs, services and infrastructure needed to attract new industries to our communities, help heal our state from the opioid epidemic and job loss from declining coal jobs, and get more West Virginians back to work. I look forward to witnessing the positive impact of these POWER grants on our communities and economy,” said Senator Manchin.

“POWER grants provide critical funding for communities across the state to diversify their economies. I’m particularly excited that this round of funding contains rewards to support entrepreneurship and expand broadband capabilities. As Chairman of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee that authorizes ARC and the author of legislation that continues the commission for another five years, I’m committed to working with the ARC to ensure funding continues to flow through West Virginia,” said Senator Capito.

“I congratulate these organizations for being FY 2019 POWER grantees, and commend them on the leadership they have shown in their community,” said ARC Federal Co-Chairman Tim Thomas. “POWER grants are playing a critical role in supporting coal-impacted communities in the Appalachian Region as they diversify economies, invest in growth-oriented infrastructure, train a next-generation workforce, and ingrain resiliency and hope into their local fabric. Projects like these help ensure a prosperous future for Appalachia.”

Individual Awards Listed Below:

$1,499,993 – Sprouting Farms
$1,431,549 – EntreEd
$1,055,001 – Advantage Valley and the Wyoming County EDA
$1,039,500 – Appalachian Community Capital – Opportunity Appalachia
$837,970 – WV High Technology Consortium Foundation
$717,166 – EdVenture
$650,000 – WV Regional Technology Park
$622,280 – Appalachian Headwaters
$50,000 – Friends of the Cheat
$50,000 – Wayne County Economic Development Authority