Kentucky Opens $29.5M in Grants for Coal Communities

Kentucky just opened one of the biggest grant pools in Appalachia this year

Governor Andy Beshear announced that Kentucky’s Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program is accepting applications for $29.5 million in federal grants. The funding targets coalfield communities in eastern and western Kentucky that want to turn former mining sites into economic engines.

Applications close at 4 p.m. EDT on May 11, 2026. If your community or business is in a Kentucky coal county, this is real money on a real timeline.

What the AMLER grants fund

The AMLER program was established in 2016 by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers (KY-05) to help coal-producing states transition toward new industries. It connects abandoned mine land reclamation with economic and community development — the idea being that cleaning up a site and putting it to productive use should happen together, not separately.

Since the program launched, more than $280 million has been awarded to Kentucky projects alone. Nationally, Congress appropriated $134 million for the FY 2026 AMLER program across six Appalachian states (Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Alabama) and three tribal nations.

What gets funded

Every project must demonstrate two things: a clear economic benefit and a connection to pre-law coal mining (mining completed before May 18, 1982). Beyond that, the range is broad:

• Workforce training facilities — new skills centers or trade schools on former mine sites
• Tourism infrastructure — trails, recreation destinations, visitor attractions
• Industrial development — business parks, processing centers, commercial space
• Agricultural projects — farm-to-table processing, agri-tourism ventures
• Clean energy — solar farms and renewable energy installations on reclaimed land
• Community infrastructure — water systems, roads, and public facilities serving coalfield areas

Kentucky’s Energy and Environment Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Goodman has noted that the program has “strengthened workforce training, tourism, industrial development and other sectors” across the state’s coalfield counties.

Which communities qualify

The AMLER grants are open to communities in Kentucky’s eastern and western coalfield counties. This year marks an important expansion — Governor Beshear highlighted that “this opportunity is being extended to coal communities in Western Kentucky, creating even more good-paying jobs.”

If your county has a history of coal mining, you’re likely in the eligible zone. The program covers much of the same geography served by Appalachian Regional Commission programs — the communities across eastern Kentucky that have shouldered the economic transition away from coal extraction.

Competition is real

This is highly competitive funding. In a recent cycle, the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands received 81 applications seeking over $207 million for roughly $25 million in available funds. That’s about a 4:1 oversubscription. Strong applications tie economic impact directly to mine land reclamation with specific, measurable outcomes.

How to apply before May 11

Applications go through the Kentucky Division of Abandoned Mine Lands. Here’s how to get started:

1. Review the program requirements. Visit the Kentucky AMLER Program page for the application overview, FAQs, and program terms.

2. Prepare your proposal. Document the abandoned mine land connection, detail the economic benefit (jobs created, businesses supported, infrastructure built), and show community support for the project.

3. Get help from state staff. The Division of Abandoned Mine Lands is holding assistance sessions for applicants at these locations:

   • March 19 — Hazard
   • March 26 — London
   • April 9 — Prestonsburg
   • April 16 — Madisonville

4. Submit by 4 p.m. EDT on May 11, 2026. Late applications are not accepted.

If you want personalized guidance, you can schedule an appointment through the Division’s online form.

Our take: invest the grant in what comes next

Here’s what we think is worth highlighting beyond the headline number.

The grants fund infrastructure. AI makes that infrastructure work harder. A workforce training center built with AMLER money needs a way to attract students and manage operations. A new business park needs tenants — and those tenants need modern tools to compete. A tourism destination needs to show up in local search results and respond to visitor inquiries around the clock.

This is where technology investment multiplies the impact of grant funding. A community that uses AMLER dollars to build a small business incubator and then equips those businesses with AI-powered customer tools gets more economic activity per grant dollar than one that builds the building and stops there.

We’ve written before about how federal grant programs are creating new opportunities across Appalachia and how the ARC is putting AI at the center of regional economic strategy. Kentucky’s AMLER funding fits the same pattern: public dollars building the foundation, private innovation building on top.

What’s missing from the conversation

Most coverage of AMLER focuses on construction and reclamation — the physical transformation of mine sites. That matters. But the communities that will see the biggest long-term returns are the ones that also invest in digital infrastructure: broadband access, business management tools, and workforce training that includes technology skills.

A 2026 SBA Economic Bulletin shows elevated levels of new business applications nationwide. Coalfield communities with the right infrastructure — physical and digital — are positioned to capture some of that entrepreneurial energy.

What you should do

If you’re in a Kentucky coal county

1. Check your eligibility. If your county has pre-1982 coal mining history, you likely qualify. Contact the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands to confirm.
2. Attend an assistance session. The March and April sessions in Hazard, London, Prestonsburg, and Madisonville are free and designed to help you build a strong application.
3. Think beyond the building. The strongest applications will show how the project creates lasting economic activity, not just a one-time construction job.

If you’re in another Appalachian state

Kentucky isn’t the only state receiving AMLER funds. West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and Alabama all receive direct payments under the same program. Check with your state’s abandoned mine land program for local application timelines and requirements.

Watch for

• April 23, 2026 — OSMRE distributes FY 2026 AMLER payments to states
• May 11, 2026 — Kentucky application deadline
• Other state deadlines — vary by state; check your state AML program

Moving forward

$29.5 million isn’t going to transform Kentucky’s coalfields overnight. But combined with the ARC’s POWER and ARISE initiatives, West Virginia’s Small Business Growth Act, and NIST’s small business AI funding, it’s another piece of a growing investment in Appalachian economic renewal.

If you’re building something in coal country and need help making the technology side of your grant application stronger, get in touch. We help Appalachian businesses put AI tools to work — whether you’re launching a new venture or scaling an existing one.