Trump expected to rescind programs established to support struggling coal and power plant communities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2025

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Appalachian Voices, (540) 798-6683, dan@appvoices.org 

Washington, D.C. — President Donald Trump is expected, on day one of his presidency, to rescind an executive order issued by President Joe Biden that established new federal programs to support economic growth and environmental health and safety in coal mining communities and other disadvantaged communities. Order 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, included two key provisions that have supported new jobs and clean-up projects in Appalachian coal mining communities: the establishment of the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization, and a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to the communities that need the most support, known as the “Justice40 initiative.”

Statement from Adam Wells, Regional Director of Community and Economic Development:
“The Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization has coordinated federal agencies to support positive economic activity in coal communities across Appalachia, locate new businesses to the coalfields and add capacity to local and regional governments to access federal funding. Appalachia is home to hard-working communities that will ceaselessly work to build new, resilient economies, but the loss of this directive for interagency collaboration risks a huge setback in our recovery from the lost economic benefits of the coal industry.” 

Statement from Chelsea Barnes, Director of Government Affairs and Strategy:
“For too long, communities in Appalachia have struggled to access federal programs because small, often part-time municipal staff teams are not prepared to manage complex federal grant requirements. The Justice40 initiative has helped to level the playing field for rural places and other under-resourced communities by focusing agency attention on the communities that need federal support the most, helping small Appalachian towns compete for these grants. Without this prioritization, it may once more be much harder for small, rural communities to compete against well-resourced organizations and localities for federal funding. We hope that despite President Trump’s rescission of this program, federal agencies maintain focus on forgotten communities like ours in Appalachia and elsewhere.”

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Notable Justice40 accomplishments

• Administration officials identified more than 500 programs across 19 federal agencies that are part of the Justice40 Initiative. Programs include:
  • 193 programs advancing clean and affordable energy for communities
  • 125 programs delivering training and workforce development benefits
  • 93 programs addressing the remediation and reduction of legacy pollution
  • 72 programs delivering critical clean water and wastewater infrastructure benefits
• According to the administration, 71% (more than $192 billion) of the grants, loans, and other investments federal agencies made from Justice40-covered programs in the first two fiscal years (FY 2022 and FY 2023), reached or benefited disadvantaged communities, including low-income rural communities, Tribal Nations, fenceline communities, and coal and power plant communities.

Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization sample accomplishments

• The IWG created a “one-stop shop” website to make it easier for communities to access federal funding. The website includes federal funding opportunities, a clearinghouse to streamline the opportunities specific for energy communities, resources for supporting economic growth and investments, and other community-based resources.
• The IWG launched seven “Rapid Response Teams” — interagency federal teams working directly with specific energy communities to address community needs using federal resources, including in Appalachian Ohio, Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The teams worked with state and local government officials and communities to maximize economic diversification and identify new federal funding and technical assistance opportunities. For example:
  • In Eastern Kentucky, the Rapid Response Team established a partnership with Kentucky Area Development Districts to provide technical assistance with project development and grant applications related to infrastructure projects, broadband access, and housing.
  • In Pennsylvania, the IWG established a partnership with a local development district focused on Southwest Pennsylvania, including hosting “office hours” with federal agencies to help communities access technical assistance and federal funding.
• The IWG convened stakeholders in communities in the Three Rivers Corridor (along the Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela rivers) for the Waterways Freight Diversification and Economic Development Initiative. The IWG hosted listening sessions to identify and address barriers to economic growth and diversification.
• The IWG launched a public-private partnership to deploy 150 AmeriCorps VISTA members in energy communities to support locally rooted economic development efforts, workforce readiness and environmental remediation plans.