Manufacturing employment in the clean energy sector is down nearly 300,000 jobs from 2024, according to a new report.
Bay Epperly, sustainable manufacturing coordinator for the economic research and advocacy organization ReImagine Appalachia, which published the data, said Kentucky and other Appalachian states have been particularly vulnerable to economic starts and stops.
The Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law helped to unlock private dollars for factories and infrastructure and Epperly argued the Trump administration has unraveled many of the policies intended to spur economic growth in the region.
"What does the future look like economically and socially in Appalachia?" Epperly asked. "I think with this report, it really just underscores what a lot of us are feeling in communities – it's kind of just hanging in the air."
In a recent letter, advocates urged Congress to restore and strengthen investments in Appalachia’s manufacturing sector heading into 2027. Lawmakers must finalize a budget for fiscal year 2027 by Sept. 30, or the country could face another government shutdown.
Epperly added dozens of organizations stand with Appalachian workers and support bringing back investments focused on job creation. They are watching the ongoing budget negotiations carefully.
"We want it to be sustainable and we want it to focus on worker wellness, pushing for apprenticeships, union partnerships," Epperly outlined.
Diana Polson, Pittsburgh policy and research director at the Keystone Research Center and the report's co-author, said the region continues to harbor energy expertise and manufacturing know-how. While local communities cannot predict what will happen at the federal level, she stressed they can still take steps to ensure they are prepared.
"That means preparing industrial sites, training workers, strengthening local suppliers and that can kind of help to build a strong ecosystem," Polson emphasized.
A ReImagine Appalachia report published last year found nearly 70% of projected clean energy jobs in the Appalachian region are now at risk following federal funding shifts and policy changes.