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There is some hope for the region's future just to our north in Brooke and Hancock counties, as two major projects could lead to both economic and population growth for the Upper Ohio Valley.
John Deskins, assistant dean and director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at West Virginia University, said during last week's Economic Outlook Conference that both the new hydrogen hub just announced for Follansbee, and also Form Energy's groundbreaking this summer in Weirton for a new electric battery plant, could help to change the narrative when it comes to growth in our region.
The hydrogen hub could create up to 3,000 jobs, Deskins noted, while Form Energy has plans for 750 on a plot of land formerly owned by Weirton Steel.
Questions remain on the hydrogen hub -- just what will be done at the Follansbee location, for example, and when will it happen -- but $1 billion from the federal government will go a long way to ensuring the project gets off the ground.
The key now is for both Hancock and Brooke counties -- and by extension, Ohio and Jefferson counties -- to be prepared for the workers and their families. That means housing and other amenities to serve new residents. It's time to get to work.