Ohio clean energy job growth at risk as federal funding stalls

By Farah Siddiqi

A new report warns Ohio could lose thousands of clean energy jobs, as federal investment tied to recent infrastructure and climate laws stalls across Appalachia.

Researchers with ReImagine Appalachia say clean energy and manufacturing investments surged after passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law during the Biden administration, bringing new projects and job opportunities to Ohio and neighboring states.

But they say policy changes in 2025 reversed that momentum, putting planned projects on hold and threatening jobs that had already been projected.

Dana Kuhnline, program director for ReImagine Appalachia, said the group’s latest analysis shows a sharp shift in investment trends.

"We saw a huge spike in clean energy and manufacturing investments," said Kuhnline. "And with the changes we’ve seen from the Trump administration throughout 2025, those big spikes have turned into a flat line and even a downturn."

The report finds clean energy investments across Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky fell from a $4.7 billion peak in 2024, with more than 61,000 projected regional jobs now considered at risk, based on federal and private investment data.

One Ohio example highlighted in the report involves Cleveland-Cliffs’ Middletown Works steel plant in Butler County. The facility received a $500 million federal award in 2024 to modernize furnaces, reduce pollution and expand employment.

But the company later withdrew from the project, citing uncertainty around future federal support. Rike Rothenstein, senior research associate with ReImagine Appalachia, said the cancellation carries clear consequences for Ohio workers.

"The furnace upgrade would have created a lot of jobs," said Rothenstein. "They would have had to build a new facility. So that would have brought 1,200 union construction jobs and also 170 new permanent jobs to operate those new furnaces."

ReImagine Appalachia says Ohio communities have demonstrated they’re ready to build, but warns continued investment uncertainty could mean fewer jobs, higher electricity costs, and missed economic opportunities unless federal funding stabilizes.