The Carbon was awarded $50,000 by the Appalachian Regional Commission on Thursday to contract a Rural Broadband Coverage & Feasibility Study in Carbon County.

This award is part of a $46.4 million package supporting 57 projects across 184 coal-impacted counties through ARC’s POWER (Partnerships for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization) Initiative.

POWER targets federal resources to communities affected by job losses in coal mining, coal power plant operations, and coal-related supply chain industries.

Additional support for the Carbon County Rural Broadband Coverage & Feasibility Study comes from a donation of $10,000 from the Carbon Chamber Economic Development Corporation that is applied towards the county’s required $50,000 match and application process assistance from Delta Development Group Inc., Camp Hill, who has been with the county every step of the way.

“The downturn of the coal industry has impacted economies across Appalachia. That’s why ARC’s POWER initiative helps to leverage regional partnerships and collaborations to support efforts to create a more vibrant economic future for coal-impacted communities,” said ARC Federal Co-Chair Gayle Manchin. “Many of the projects we announced today will invest in educating and training the Appalachian workforce, nurturing entrepreneurship, and supporting infrastructure-including broadband access. These investments in our Appalachian coal-impacted communities are critical in leveling the economic playing field so our communities can thrive.”

The purpose of the Carbon County Rural Broadband Coverage & Feasibility Study is to identify county-wide gaps in broadband service, determine the best technology (fiber, white space, cable, DSL, etc.) or approach to fill these gaps based on geography, demographics and proximity to anchor institutions, and development of an implementation strategy to determine the most cost-effective and timely way to deploy broadband internet service.

Once completed, Carbon County will have a roadmap for future broadband deployment efforts. With the decline of coal mining, coal-fired power plant, and coal-related supply industry jobs in the region, in addition to the economic and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for reliable, affordable, and low latency broadband internet service to strengthen the economic potential of Carbon County’s businesses and residents can’t be overstated.

Since POWER launched in 2015, ARC has invested more than $287.8 million in 362 projects across 353 coal-impacted counties. The nearly $46.4 million awarded today is projected to create/retain over 9,187 jobs, attract nearly $519.5 million in leveraged private investments, and be matched by $59.2 million in additional public and private funds across the region.