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The Marshall Plan for Middle America (MP4MA) Roadmap has mapped out a vision for a regional, diverse stakeholder coalition to activate equitable economic recovery in the Upper Appalachia/Ohio River Valley region, while laying the foundation for a robust renewable energy sector.

MP4MA has signaled a generational opportunity to transform the region’s renewable energy sector and revitalize its economy, but it will not happen if we don’t all work together and start to collaborate differently. As a key leader in the region, you are being invited to be part of the initial cohort of cross-sectoral partners that will lay the foundation and set the stage for how we all work on this change.

The Summit will be organized over four days, in a two part series of engaging and inspiring plenaries, and a hands-on workshop of six tangible projects from the region. Please join us on Monday, September 27th, Tuesday, September 28th, Monday, October 4th, and Tuesday, October 5th from 2:00-4:30 ET each day. The City of Pittsburgh and RCC team will work with you and your colleagues to:

 
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Build cross-sectoral partnerships required for regional transformation

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Drive multi-benefit outcomes for the region, through a detailed understanding of key roadblocks

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Position the region to receive and leverage federal funding to development and implement transformation projects

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Align actions to fulfill the Marshall Plan for Middle America’s goals  

September 27, 2021

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The Time is Now: Activate the Vision for a Sustainable Energy and Economic Transformation.
-  2:10-2:25 ET -

 
 
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Theme: Spotlight the regional opportunity with panelists from the Marshall Plan for Middle America report, mayors of different Marshall Plan cities, and other leaders. 
- 2:25-3:15 ET -

 
Moderator: Andrew Salkin, Founding Principal, Resilient Cities Catalyst

Moderator: Andrew Salkin, Founding Principal, Resilient Cities Catalyst

Dr. Leslie Marshall, Lead Author, Marshall Plan for Middle America Roadmap and Director, SFPE Foundation

Dr. Leslie Marshall, Lead Author, Marshall Plan for Middle America Roadmap and Director, SFPE Foundation

Tom Croft, Executive Director, Steel Valley Authority  

Tom Croft, Executive Director, Steel Valley Authority  

Steve Williams, Mayor, City of Huntington

Steve Williams, Mayor, City of Huntington

Greg Fischer, Mayor, City of Louisville

Greg Fischer, Mayor, City of Louisville

 
 
 

Highlight regional innovation success stories.
-  3:15-3:25 ET -

 
 

Theme:  Regional leaders discuss how we can capitalize on this generational opportunity.
- 3:25-4:10 ET -

 
Moderator: Anne Slaughter Andrew, Principal, WindRun Strategies,LLC and Former U.S. Ambassador under President Obama

Moderator: Anne Slaughter Andrew, Principal, WindRun Strategies,LLC and Former U.S. Ambassador under President Obama

Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Pittsburgh  

Grant Ervin, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Pittsburgh  

Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director, Keystone Research Center 

Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director, Keystone Research Center 

Amanda Woodrum, Senior Researcher, Policy Matters Ohio 

Amanda Woodrum, Senior Researcher, Policy Matters Ohio 

Kyle Fee, Regional Community Development Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Kyle Fee, Regional Community Development Advisor, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

 

BREAKOUT SESSION PROJECT COHORTS

- 4:10-4:25 -

 

September 28, 2021

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Energy Transition in America: A Whole-of-Government Approach
- 2:05-2:15 ET -

 

Theme: New ways of working to get better projects designed, funded and implemented.
- 2:15-3:15 ET -

 
Moderator: Debbie Nisson, Independent Consultant & Board Member, Heartland Capital Strategies

Moderator: Debbie Nisson, Independent Consultant & Board Member, Heartland Capital Strategies

Peter Perrault, Senior Leader, Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions, Enel North America, Inc.

Peter Perrault, Senior Leader, Circular Economy and Sustainable Solutions, Enel North America, Inc.

Briggs White, Deputy Executive Director, Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization

Briggs White, Deputy Executive Director, Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization

Ron DeLyons, Chief Executive Officer, Creekwood Energy Partners

Ron DeLyons, Chief Executive Officer, Creekwood Energy Partners

 
 
 
 

Highlight regional innovation success stories
-  3:15-3:25 ET -

 
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PROJECT PREPARATION DESIGN SPRINTS | SESSION 1

Theme:  Interactive breakout sessions on some of the region’s most promising projects.
- 3:25-4:30 ET -

Piketon Integrated Energy Hub | Reuse Corridor / Coalfield Redevelopment | Johnstown/ Pittsburgh Gateways Corp | Sustainable Finance Hub | Athens

 

October 4, 2021

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OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR TRANSITION
- 2:00-2:20 ET -

 

CLEAN ENERGY ADVANCEMENTS IN HEAVY INDUSTRY
- 2:20-2:35 ET - 

 
 
 
 

HIGHLIGHT REGIONAL INNOVATION SUCCESS STORIES
- 2:35-2:45 ET -

 
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PROJECT PREPARATION DESIGN SPRINTS | SESSION 2

Theme:  Project teams report on progress made, take more feedback and secure additional partnerships
- 2:45-4:30 ET -

Piketon Integrated Energy Hub | Reuse Corridor / Coalfield Redevelopment | Johnstown/ Pittsburgh Gateways Corp | Sustainable Finance Hub | Athens

 
 

October 5, 2021

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SCALING INNOVATION
- 2:10-2:25 pm ET -

 
 
 

- 2:25-3:20 pm ET-

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Facilitator: Karen Lightman, Executive Director, Metro21

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Facilitator: Valerie Jean Karplus, Associate Director of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University

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Facilitator: Noel Chesser, Principal Energy Advisor, Enel

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Facilitator: Steve Herzenberg, Executive Director, Keystone Research Center

 
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Facilitator: Chris Gassman, Associate Director of the Center for Sustainable Business, University of Pittsburgh

 
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Facilitator: Jim Kapsis, President of AdHoc Group

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Facilitator: Amanda Woodrum, Senior Researcher, Policy Matters Ohio

 
 
 

- 3:20-3:30 pm ET-

 
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- 3:30-4:25 pm ET-

 
Moderator: Anne Slaughter Andrew, Principal, WindRun Strategies,LLC and Former U.S. Ambassador under President Obama

Moderator: Anne Slaughter Andrew, Principal, WindRun Strategies,LLC and Former U.S. Ambassador under President Obama

Heidi Binko, Executive Director, Just Transition Fund

Heidi Binko, Executive Director, Just Transition Fund

Bill Peduto, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

Bill Peduto, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

 
 
Bruce Katz, Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Drexel University

Bruce Katz, Director of the Nowak Metro Finance Lab, Drexel University

Patty DeMarco, Chairperson of CONNECT, Member of Council of Forest Hills Borough

Patty DeMarco, Chairperson of CONNECT, Member of Council of Forest Hills Borough

Trenton Allen, Managing Director, Sustainable Capital Advisors

Trenton Allen, Managing Director, Sustainable Capital Advisors

 

 Resources

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Project Prep Projects

 
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Piketon Integrated Energy Hub

Redevelopment of former uranium enrichment facility to serve as clean energy production and manufacturing hub for hydrogen and materials industries.

Project Sponsor: Ohio University Voinovich School.

 
 
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Athens: Hocking River Restoration

River restoration project to enable flood mitigation and enhanced recreation opportunities. The goal of the project is to restore the structural and functional aspects of the ecosystem that have suffered due to acid mine run-off.

Project Sponsor: City of Athens.

 
 
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PGH Green Building & Energy Technology Proving Ground, Johnstown

Support energy transition through application of high performance building technologies, broadband artificial intelligence, construction materials and workforce training and upskilling in collaboration with residential and commercial building developers and manufacturers. Providing a shared physical and virtual space for clean energy technology applications, workforce and organized labor training and technology research labs. Scale technologies and workforce through adjacent neighborhood applications in residential and commercial spaces. Focus on building insulation, electrification and on-site renewable generation capabilities provided by private manufacturers.

Project Sponsor: Pittsburgh Gateways & Energy Innovation Center.

 
 
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Circular Economy and Reuse Corridor- Coalfield Redevelopment

Development of circular reuse strategies and product applications from waste materials. Targeted applications for solar energy manufacturing, bio based materials, mine land reclamation and green collar technology design.

See also: APPALACHIAN ReUse CORRIDOR Strategic Plan (2022-2026).

Project Sponsor: Center for Coalfield Development.

 
 
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Sustainable Finance Hub

The sustainable finance hub will help maximize the potential of sustainable projects, at the front end, by advocating for policies matching up to projects’ needs -- and getting local municipalities to enact these policies to create collaboration with union labor and key government stakeholders which can unlock investment opportunities and drive quality risk adjusted returns.

Project Sponsor: Heartland Capital Strategies.

 
 
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The Building Blocks for a Clean Energy Economy

The project is a series of regionally-focused cohorts supporting a group of local governments, universities, businesses, utilities, and other large institutions through a series of tactical workshops to prepare brownfields sites for solar energy and procure large-scale solar energy projects on and around brownfields or other underutilized sites in the region.

Owners: RMI, Hecate Energy, & Partners

 
 

MP4MA tearsheet

Download the MP4MA tearsheet (PDF)

 
 

 Registration

You can register for the Marshall Plan for Middle America Kick-Off Summit clicking the button below.

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partners

 
 
 

Have a question about the Marshall Plan for Middle America?

Please feel free to leave a comment below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.