A BRIGHT ECONOMIC
FUTURE FOR THE
MOUNTAIN STATE
#WVBrightFuture
A Roadmap for Sustainable
Economic Development in
West Virginia
L. Jeremy Richardson
Union of Concerned Scientists
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Study Areas
Northern WV:
29 Northern App counties
Non-Mining counties
Southern WV:
Central App counties
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Questions?
JRichardson@ucsusa.org
Research Questions
• What factors will impact coal production in
the coming decade, and how will WV be
affected?
• What are the employment trends in the
mining industry for the state?
• How are different parts of WV (which mine
different types of coal) vulnerable to these
changes?
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Pressures on Coal
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Low Natural Gas Prices
Environmental Regulations
Declining Productivity
Competition with Other Regions
Competition with Renewables and Efficiency
Economic Recession and Excess Capacity
Climate Change Policy
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Methods
• Considered different EIA scenarios for coal
production through 2020
• Estimated WV production based on average
from previous three years
• Conducted multi-regional analysis using an
input-output model to gauge employment and
output impacts
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Results: Statewide Economy