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“The report assesses economic progress and opportunities for growth in three sectors of the Appalachian economy that are driven by energy: the energy sector, the petrochemical sector which uses energy as its primary feedstock, and the manufacturing sector.”

“Economic recovery and growth are a priority, and outside of Appalachia, few other regions have the same potential for not only recovery, but for new growth at a scale not seen since the Industrial Revolution. Appalachia can expect to grow via energy resource production, next generation manufacturing, and petrochemical industry development and expansion.”

“The lessons learned from this pandemic experience underscore the importance of the United States petrochemical industry. The personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects first responders and health care workers are largely constructed from petrochemical feedstocks. From latex gloves to N95 masks and plastic face shields, petrochemicals play a key role. To put this in perspective, over 80 percent of the PPE used by firefighters are derived from petrochemicals.4 Life-saving medical equipment, vital communication equipment, home building materials, clothing, and transportation equipment all have components derived from petrochemicals. Increasing United States production capacity of these products via an Appalachian petrochemical and manufacturing renaissance will ensure that adequate supplies of these products exist, not just for emergencies like COVID-19, but enable a productive economy and increase the quality of livelihoods.”