WARREN, Ohio – Northern Appalachia is an ideal location for energy storage cluster development, according to a study by Brite Energy Innovators and the Energy Policy Center at Cleveland State University.
The region’s low cost of living and its more than 200 commercial businesses suitable for regional energy storage industry involvement position it as a manufacturing hub, the study finds.
Brite commissioned the 139-county study, says Sara Daugherty, chief of staff of the Warren-based business incubator. “As we’re part of national conversations to re-shore manufacturing and secure a domestic supply chain, this study confirms how northern Appalachia not only complements but is critical for the creation, production and adoption of energy storage technologies,” she says.
The study covered 32 counties in eastern Ohio, 52 in western Pennsylvania and 55 in West Virginia. It focused on energy storage market trends, commercial and structural assets in the region, energy storage technologies, recommendations to policymakers, challenges and growth opportunities.
Mark Henning, research associate at Cleveland State’s Energy Policy Center, says northern Appalachia’s “legacy” makes it a natural fit. “These legacies have led to occupational specialization in key engineering and technical fields compared to the U.S. in general,” he says. “This, gives the region a strategic advantage for cluster development.”