Groundbreaking Held for New Methanol Plant in Kanawha County, West Virginia -

"US Methanol expects it will open its first American facility, Liberty One, in mid-2018, which will be capable of producing 200,000 metric tons of methanol a year on the 11-acre site. Once the facility is completed, approximately 50 people will be hired on a permanent basis."

Why this is important: The US Methanol announcement here in the Kanawha Valley is a "poster-project" showcasing downstream economic development directly related to shale gas production in the Appalachian region. USM will be converting methane into approximately 200,000 metric tons of methanol - a base chemical component used in a diverse array of consumer products from gasoline and fertilizer to pharmaceuticals and LED/LCD screens - per year.