Projects in several Virginia and West Virginia counties and cities have been selected to share $155,000 in economic development grants from Appalachian Power. The awards announced this week are part of Appalachian Power’s efforts to promote economic growth in the company’s service territory.
Thirteen localities and nonprofits will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 through the company’s Economic Development Growth Enhancement (EDGE) program administered by John Smolak, economic and business development director. The funds will be used for site development or to support marketing and promotion, or new business development and retention.
The Mingo County Redevelopment Authority in West Virginia will receive a $20,000 grant to support its Refresh Appalachia program that provides educational and training opportunities for the unemployed including former coal miners. Executive Director Leasha Johnson said the funds will allow her group to move forward with construction of a critical multi-purpose building for agricultural product processing at the Mingo County Wood Products Industrial Park. “This award represents an investment in our workforce development and growth of a sustainable agriculture industry in southern West Virginia,” Johnson said.
Appalachian Power has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee (as AEP Appalachian Power). It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity and custom energy solutions to nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states. AEP owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a more than 40,000-mile network that includes more 765-kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP also operates 223,000 miles of distribution lines. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning approximately 31,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S.
