Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia (EMA)

This initiative provides technical assistance and business support to small and medium manufacturers and enterprises seeking to expand business, production and jobs in the energy industry.

Helping Manufacturers Grow into the Energy Supply Chains

Learn more about these supply chains with reports, events, videos and more to take advantage of market opportunities. A mini-grant of up to $10,000 is available to reimburse companies for projects that support market development opportunities.

Get Plugged In Get Your Mini-Grant

Energy DIY Tools

Self-Assessment

In 15 minutes, get a report on where you should focus your energy strategies.

Get Started
Energy Efficient Factory Toolkit

Determine your baseline emissions and create a plan to achieve reduction goals.

Learn More
Incentive Finder

There are millions of dollars in available grants and tax incentives. Identify which ones are the best fit with the largest ROI.

Get Started
GHG Emissions Calculator

Compute the Greenhouse Gas Emissions through your facilities and operations.

Learn More

Helping Manufacturers Embrace Energy

Manufacturing companies also need to walk-the-talk on the net zero pathway as they expand manufacturing in these industries, and reinvest money from saved energy in business and workers. EMA helps with these initiatives through emissions reductions assessments and implementation strategies that increase efficiency and reduce production costs.

The Appalachian region of 156 counties of Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia has been central in the coal energy sector which powered American manufacturing might, and to the natural gas industry which is now a cornerstone of America’s energy independence. EMA was established to help small and medium manufacturers be a part of this Energy Economy. This program is managed by Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) organizations from five Appalachian states. The activities and intended outcomes of EMA align with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) MEP and its mission to enhance the productivity and technological performance of U.S. manufacturing.

Get Connected

This energy economy vision builds on the competitive assets of the region and looks to create an Appalachian Decarbonization Hub with key elements that will include:

Power Generation & Management

  • Electric Grids
  • Geothermal
  • Hydropower
  • Hydrogen Production
  • Natural Gas
  • Nuclear
  • Solar
  • Wind

Product-Related

  • Batteries
  • Chemicals
  • Circular Plastics
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Grid Components
  • Low-Carbon Products
Area Map

Connections

Manufacturers should connect with their local MEP Point of Contact to learn more about EMA opportunities:

  • PENNSYLVANIA
    Catalyst Connection (southwestern part of PA MEP)
    Tom Reed
    treed@catalystconnection.org
    (412) 918-4269
  • Johnstown Area Regional Industries (JARI)
    Dave Grimaldi
    dgrimaldi@jari.com
    (814) 262-8366
  • IMC (central part of PA MEP)
    Dennis Gilbert
    dennisg@imcpa.com
    (570) 329-3200
  • MANTEC (south central part of PA MEP)
    Bruce Newell
    bruce@mantec.org
    (717) 833-6196
  • MRC (central east part of PA MEP)
    Shawn Furman
    Shawn.Furman@mrcpa.org
    (610) 737-2529
  • NEPIRC (northeastern part of PA MEP)
    Marla Hager
    marla@nepirc.com
    (570) 704-0025
  • NWIRC (northwestern part of PA MEP)
    Robert Zaruta
    rzaruta@nwirc.org
    (814) 217-6061
  • OHIO
    MAGNET(part of Ohio MEP)
    Darlyn McDermott
    dmcdermott@manufacturingsuccess.org
    (330) 858-5581
  • WEST VIRGINIA
    WVU (and WV MEP)
    David Carrick
    david.carrick@mail.wvu.edu
    (412) 327-9119
  • MARYLAND
    Maryland MEP
    Michael Kelleher
    mkelleher@mdmep.org
    (443) 343-0085
  • NEW YORK
    AMT (part of New York MEP)
    Carol Miller
    cmiller@amt-mep.org
    (607) 774-0022 x316

Funding for this initiative was provided through the following grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC):

  • Manufacturing the New Energy Economy in Appalachia – ARISE Grant
  • Tri-State Net Zero – POWER Grant
  • ShalePOWER 2.0: Supporting Appalachian Businesses to Diversify into the Shale-Manufacturing Sectors

This initiative is targeted to the following 156 counties across five states in Appalachia:

    • Maryland – Allegheny, Garrett, and Washington
    • New York – Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, and Tompkins
    • Pennsylvania – Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Mifflin, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Venango, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Westmoreland, Wyoming
    • Ohio – Adams, Ashtabula, Athens, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Clermont, Columbiana, Coshocton, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mahoning, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Vinton, Washingtons
  • West Virginia
      – Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming

Resources

Each energy segment has a supply chain of products and services needed to build and maintain a robust ecosystem. Open one of the supply chain overviews to learn about market, key players, components, and the types of manufacturers that sell to this supply chain.

CLICK HERE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THE INDIVIDUAL ENERGY SEGMENTS.

 

Energy Reports: Access detailed reports on each energy segment. New reports are released every two weeks—check back regularly for the latest insights!

Assessments are available to allow manufacturers to identify the best strategies to achieve their unique goals. Start with this self-assessment to get an idea of the awareness and opportunities in energy. This can lead to a site assessment or other engagement tailored to company needs.

Self-Assessment – Energy Manufacturing Economy

Assess one of manufacturing’s largest expenses – electricity. Enter the electric bill information and receive information about ways to lower costs and apply for funding for efficiency projects. Click this link to open the Bill Analyzer tools.

There are several assessments and tools available to help a company obtain information and analysis about their current energy usage. Here are some programs to look at:

Energy efficiency strategies help manufacturing companies to proceed with efficient energy practices and practical cost reduction strategies. The first step is to identify the team of employees to support cost-reduction strategies. Second, establish a baseline understanding of current energy usage. Third is to identify opportunities to make changes. Fourth is to look at the driving forces for making a change – such as 1) save money with energy efficiency, 2) satisfy requirements by current or potential customers, 3) comply with regulatory standards, 4) be a good community partner. This will lead to establishing goals and actions for improvement and a way to measure progress. The EMA program developed the The Energy Efficient Factory Toolkit to walk companies through this process. Download it to start your journey or to enhance your current strategies.

Download The Energy Efficient Factory Toolkit

In addition to the The Energy Efficient Factory Toolkit, these resources can provide insight and resources for manufacturing companies:

Subcity Incentive Finder
The EMA program has contracted with Subcity to offer the Incentive Finder service at no cost (a $1,000 value). Eligible manufacturing companies will receive a personalized report from Subcity that identifies the grants and tax incentives that have the biggest ROI and greatest likelihood of success. Subcity can also assist the company to apply for the incentives for an additional fee.

Subcity Incentive Finder

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EMA Mini-Grant Program

EMA offers mini-grants of up to $10,000 to support manufacturers who engage in a technical assistance project that will assist them to: 1) engage with the energy supply chain and/or 2) implement energy cost-reduction strategies. These are reimbursement grants awarded after the project is completed to help offset some of the investment cost by the company.

Contact Us About Your Project Opportunity

View Project Examples

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Additional Grant and Incentive Opportunities

There are additional grant and tax incentive opportunities that a company may qualify depending on various factors (location, industry, business size, ownership type, etc.) Here are some programs to look at:

Events

Energy Efficiency for Everyone: Reduce Energy Waste in the Factory

June 18, 2026 | Catalyst Connection - 4501 Lytle Street, Building A, Pittsburgh, PA 15207

Energy is no longer just an operating expense. It’s a strategic issue that affects your bottom line, your competitiveness, and your company’s future. This hands-on training brings every member of your team up to speed on why energy management matters and exactly what they can do about it.

What We’ll Cover

From the moment energy enters your facility to the moment it drives output, we’ll trace how it flows through the systems you rely on every day: motors, HVAC, compressed air, lighting, and process heat. You’ll learn how each system drives both consumption and cost, and how to see them as an interconnected whole rather than isolated pieces.

We’ll introduce Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) as a practical framework for identifying and acting on savings opportunities, and walk through system-level thinking (TSO) to show how coordinated action across departments consistently outperforms one-off fixes. We’ll also break down how rising electricity rates are quietly compressing margins and what that means for long-term growth.

Built for Every Role

Whether you’re on the plant floor, in maintenance, or in the front office, you’ll see concrete examples of how your specific role creates an opportunity to spot waste, support innovation, and shift daily habits. Those behavioral changes alone can unlock 15 to 24 percent in energy savings with no capital investment required.

Walk Away Ready to Act

The session closes with practical, ready-to-use tools: how to report waste, which KPIs to track, how to calculate ROI on capital projects, and how to use standards like ENERGY STAR, ISO 50001, and LEED to benchmark performance and communicate results clearly to customers and investors.

You’ll leave with both the foundational knowledge and the specific next steps to start making an impact in your facility right away.

 

Introduction to Energy Efficiency for Manufacturing

Click Here to view the handout for this course.


Energy Efficiency for Everyone: Reduce Energy Waste in the Factory

June 24, 2026 | Virtual

Energy is no longer just an operating expense. It’s a strategic issue that affects your bottom line, your competitiveness, and your company’s future. This hands-on training brings every member of your team up to speed on why energy management matters and exactly what they can do about it.

What We’ll Cover

From the moment energy enters your facility to the moment it drives output, we’ll trace how it flows through the systems you rely on every day: motors, HVAC, compressed air, lighting, and process heat. You’ll learn how each system drives both consumption and cost, and how to see them as an interconnected whole rather than isolated pieces.

We’ll introduce Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) as a practical framework for identifying and acting on savings opportunities, and walk through system-level thinking (TSO) to show how coordinated action across departments consistently outperforms one-off fixes. We’ll also break down how rising electricity rates are quietly compressing margins and what that means for long-term growth.

Built for Every Role

Whether you’re on the plant floor, in maintenance, or in the front office, you’ll see concrete examples of how your specific role creates an opportunity to spot waste, support innovation, and shift daily habits. Those behavioral changes alone can unlock 15 to 24 percent in energy savings with no capital investment required.

Walk Away Ready to Act

The session closes with practical, ready-to-use tools: how to report waste, which KPIs to track, how to calculate ROI on capital projects, and how to use standards like ENERGY STAR, ISO 50001, and LEED to benchmark performance and communicate results clearly to customers and investors.

You’ll leave with both the foundational knowledge and the specific next steps to start making an impact in your facility right away.

This training is virtual and all costs for manufacturing employees is paid for from a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial System Energy Efficiency Development (ISEED) Collaborative Program

 


The Energy Efficient Factory Accelerator Training

June 10, 2026 | Catalyst Connection - 4501 Lytle Street, Building A, Pittsburgh, PA 15207

Unlock immediate cost savings and operational performance improvements with the Energy Efficient Factory Accelerator Training—a hands-on, half-day workshop designed to help manufacturing and operations leaders turn energy efficiency into a strategic advantage. This interactive session equips participants with practical tools, baseline assessment techniques, and actionable plans to reduce energy consumption, improve performance, and drive measurable results from day one. Whether you’re leading operations, facilities, or continuous improvement initiatives, this training provides a clear, structured path to identify opportunities, set goals, and implement energy-saving strategies that deliver lasting value.

Workshop length: Half‑day (4.5 hours)
Format: Interactive, discussion‑driven training with hands-on exercises

Training Objectives: By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Explain how energy efficiency strengthens operational performance and reduces costs
  • Identify opportunities to lower energy consumption within their facility
  • Establish a baseline for energy use and performance tracking
  • Develop practical energy‑efficiency goals and action plans
  • Use the toolkit’s worksheets and tools to begin implementation immediately

Who Should Attend:

  • Company Leadership
  • Operations teams
  • Facilities leaders
  • Continuous improvement leaders
  • Manufacturing engineers

Participants will:

  • Identify energy efficiency opportunities in their facility
  • Complete baseline inventory worksheets
  • Develop sample energy efficiency goals
  • Create initial action plans
  • Learn how to track and communicate progress

Participants will receive:

  • Energy Efficient Factory Toolkit
  • Toolkit worksheets and templates
  • Training presentation materials

 

By the end of the session, participants will have:

  • A clear understanding of energy efficiency implementation
  • Initial baseline and inventory information
  • Identified potential energy savings opportunities
  • Draft goals and action plan framework

Participants are encouraged to bring:

  • Recent utility bills
  • Knowledge of facility equipment and operations
  • Questions about energy use, technology, and efficiency opportunities

 

This training is in-person and all costs for manufacturing employees is paid for from a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial System Energy Efficiency Development (ISEED) Collaborative Program.


Videos: Unlocking Sustainable Solutions

Explore the transformative landscape of Clean Energy Manufacturing through our on-demand video series, delving into expert insights and practical knowledge to empower sustainable practices in your operations.

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Connecting with Energy & Manufacturing

The Energy & Manufacturing in Appalachia initiative supports small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in eligible counties to expand business, production, and jobs in energy supply chains and reduce costs through factory efficiencies.

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