October 16, 2019 - West Virginia Congresswoman Carol Miller (R) has announced 10 POWER grants totaling $8,743,469 from the Appalachian Regional Commission, according to a press release.

Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization, or POWER grants, are used to help communities affected by job losses in coal mining as a result of America’s changing energy market.

“This a huge step in rebuilding Southern West Virginia after the previous administrations ‘War on Coal,’” Miller SAID. “Diversifying our economy and supporting entrepreneurs will ensure we find the most innovative ways to continue moving forward to create new jobs, increase small business growth and keep hard-working West Virginians employed.”

    - $1,500,000 to the Pikeville Medical Center in Pikeville, Kentucky, for the PMC Children Hospital program. The funds will be used to build a $6.2 million children’s hospital and pediatric clinic. The hospital will provide family healthcare, create 50 permanent jobs and retain over 100 pediatric staff. Local sources will add an additional $7,492,216, bringing the project total to $8,992,216.
    - $1,039,500 to Appalachian Community Capital for Opportunity Appalachia.
    - $50,000 to the Wayne County Economic Development Authority to create jobs and businesses in recycling, trucking, logistics and manufacturing across West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky.
    - $837,970 to the INNOVA Commercialization Group, the West Virginia Jobs Investments Trust Board (WVJIT) and TechConnect for “Three Steps to Start Up.”
    - $622,280 to the Appalachian Headwaters to expand the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective (ABC) economic development program in Southern West Virginia and part of Virginia.
    - $930,001 to Advantage Valley for the FASTER WV project – Fostering Advantages for Startups and Entrepreneurial Resurgence in West Virginia.
    - $717,166 to the EdVenture Group, Inc. for the Simulated Workplace Entrepreneurship Education Pathway (SWEEP) project.
    - $1,499,993 to Sprouting Farms for Integrating Agri-Development Centers in Central Appalachia.
    - $1,496,585 to Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio for the LIGHTS Inclusive (LIGHTS-INC) program which is based on the LIGHTS Regional Innovation Network program.
    - $49,974 to the Partners in Health Network, Inc. (PIHN) to prepare a study looking into expanding the Appalachian Pulmonary Health Project (APHP) to more hospitals and health centers in West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina that have been affected by the decreasing coal economy.