Crazy idea: stealing an idea from another thread circling this forum, Khomeini decides that antagonizing one of the world's superpowers right from square one is a poor long-term strategy and releases the hostages immediately. No hostage crisis and botched rescue attempt. Carter manages to win reelection in '80. Among his policies is a big push for renewable energy research. Realizing he's alienating coal-country Dems, he comes up with a TVA-type thing for wind energy investment in the mountains, including grants for green energy research. Huntington, WV, in particular becomes a major hub for green energy research. By 1990 WV has a growing wind energy and green energy R&D factor to its economy (silicon holler?) and becomes a magnet for environmental engineering startups. The big coal companies start to see $$ potential and diversify into renewable energy. By 2000 there's enough of a green technology base in the state, with old coal miners finding new work installing turbines and advising/training Chinese lithium miners, that coal is no longer the linchpin of the economy. WV stays Blue. PA's up-country stays Blue, making PA less of a swing state than OTL. Even eastern KY and TN and up-country NC are more purple than OTL. The GOP starts to shift in policy towards renewable energy as "national defense strategy and economic driver" as campaign funds from the Green Economy roll in and the old hat that Green=/=Economy gets shown to be a fallacy.
Thoughts?