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This Clean Energy Manufacturing in Appalachia (CEMA) initiative provides technical assistance and business support to small and medium manufacturers and enterprises seeking to expand business, production and jobs in the clean energy supply chains.

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Helping Manufacturers Embrace Clean 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. CEMA 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. CEMA was established to help small and medium manufacturers be a part of this Clean Energy Economy. This program is managed by Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) organizations from five Appalachian states. The activities and intended outcomes of CEMA 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.

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This clean 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 CEMA 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)
    Eric Esoda
    eric@nepirc.com
    (570) 704-0012
  • NWIRC (northwestern part of PA MEP)
    Robert Zaruta
    rzaruta@nwirc.org
    (814) 217-6061
  • OHIO
    MAGNET(part of Ohio MEP)
    Janelle M. Lee
    jlee@manufacturingsuccess.org
    (513) 257-5338
  • 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

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 clean energy. This can lead to a site assessment or other engagement tailored to company needs.

Self-Assessment – Clean Energy Manufacturing Economy

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:

Clean Energy Supply Chain Products and Markets offers numerous resources to help companies learn about the energy industry and identify strategies and opportunities to work in the supply chain. Engagement professionals are available to share information about the regional players in clean energy segments. They can also offer a one-on-one look at how a company might be most successfully involved in the energy supply chain, including recommendations for next steps on that journey.

Greener Factory Strategies help manufacturing companies to proceed down the net zero pathway with efficient energy practices and practical emissions reduction strategies. The first step is to identify the team of employees to support sustainable strategies. Second, establish a baseline understanding of current energy usage and carbon emissions. 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 CEMA program developed The Greener Factory Toolkit eBook to walk companies through this process. Download it to start your journey or to enhance your current strategies.

Download The Greener Factory Toolkit

A cleaner economy vision builds on the competitive assets of the region and looks to create an Appalachian Decarbonization Hub with key elements that will include: solar, wind, hydro, geothermal energy; natural gas energy with a focus on reduced environmental impact; hydrogen technologies; carbon capture, storage and use technologies; smart grid technologies; green building technologies; plastics manufacturing and recycling technologies; low-carbon intensity products and feedstocks; electric vehicle and charging infrastructure manufacturing; and other key components of a decarbonization and net zero sector. No matter where an organization is on their journey towards efficiency and opportunity, continuing education is essential, and the Clean Energy Manufacturing program is available to support the transition. In addition to the Greener Factory Toolkit, these resources can provide insight and resources for manufacturing companies:

The CEMA 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

CEMA 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 clean energy supply chain and/or 2) implement remission reduction strategies. These are reimbursement grants awarded after the project is completed to help offset some of the investment cost by the company.

Clean Energy Manufacturing Mini-grant Guidelines

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

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 Clean Energy Manufacturing

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

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