No matter whom you vote for or what kind of car you drive, infrastructure for electric vehicles means jobs. Appalachians know what it means to work hard. But too often, politicians and corporations make decisions in far-away meeting rooms that ultimately strip our communities of good jobs and economic opportunities.

The recent move by the federal government to freeze funding for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations is yet another example of how out-of-touch politicians hurt working families in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia the most.

On Feb. 6, the Federal Highway Administration announced the suspension of federal funding that had already been promised to states to build public electric vehicle charging stations along our highways. For our region, this means potentially more than $426 million in suspended funding and over 3,700 lost job opportunities, according to our economic modeling at the Ohio River Valley Institute.

This isn’t “wasteful spending” – those are real dollars that would have directly supported hard-working men and women in construction, electrical work, engineering, and project management jobs. And these aren’t just statistics — they’re real paychecks that could have supported families and built real, local opportunities to keep young people from leaving their hometowns in search of work.

This decision doesn’t just hurt workers; it hurts our entire economy. When new industries and technologies come to Appalachia, they don’t just create jobs for those directly involved — they create ripples throughout the community.

From the manufacturers who make the parts to the local diners and stores that rely on workers’ wages, everyone benefits when we invest in our economy. By pulling the rug out from under this program, the federal government isn’t just taking away a chance for us to thrive — it’s sending a message that partisan politics is more important than creating jobs in our states.

We know that Appalachians are problem-solvers. We’ve built, mined, and manufactured. We’ve powered this country with coal and steel, and now we have an opportunity to power the next generation with clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Building out EV infrastructure is about ensuring that our region has a seat at the table in the economy of the future which will involve batteries, charging stations, and computer chips.

Freezing these funds does the opposite of giving Appalachians a seat; it prevents us from diversifying our economy into new technologies, even as traditional industries no longer provide the good-paying jobs they once did.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a people issue. The investments made through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program were a promise to our workers and our communities that is now broken. These were bipartisan investments, from an infrastructure bill that both parties supported, meant to ensure that Appalachia isn’t left behind as America develops new technologies. By reversing course, the federal government is once again prioritizing corporate interests and partisan politics over working families.

Leaders must stand up against decisions that harm working families and put people over politics. States like Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky helped build this country, and we’re ready to build the future, too — if only we’re given the chance.

It’s time to tell Washington: Appalachia can’t be left behind. Not now. Not ever.

Nick Messenger is a senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute studying regional economic development and the clean energy transition.

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