MOVA in the July 2020 Virginia Business Journal

Can Entrepreneurs Remake Southwest Virginia’s Energy Economy?

The image of Southwest Virginia as a region reeling from the decline of the coal industry was earned fairly. But a newly formed organization, the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority, is aiming to reshape the region’s energy economy using entrepreneurship and innovation. Formed by action of the Virginia General Assembly in 2019, the authority named Mike Quillen, former CEO of Alpha Natural Resources as itsfirst chairman. “This authority is going to think outside the box on energy projects that bring together innovative research, workforce development, and economic development under one umbrella,” Quillen said. “Our team is going to think creatively and strategically on how to to pair renewable energy with job-creating projects.” To that end, the authority is already working on four projects, any one of which could potentially create jobs and investment

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