Nine years after the Mountain Valley Pipeline project was announced, it remains unnecessary and dangerous to the communities, water resources, lands and habitats through which it is routed. [ Read More ]
Mountain Valley Pipeline: Risky, ruinous and roadblocked
Friday, March 10th, 2023 | Posted by Jessica Sims | 7 Comments
Wins and losses in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly session
Friday, March 3rd, 2023 | Posted by Dan Radmacher | 2 Comments
Even with the short session, Appalachian Voices’ capitol team had a lot to keep track of, with a number of bills we were hoping to convince legislators to support — and quite a few we were hoping to convince them to vote down. [ Read More ]
Guest post: New SkyTruth research reveals legacy of mountaintop mining — and the policy implications
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 | Posted by Guest Contributor | No Comments
Explosives and heavy equipment: the perfect combination for mine owners to extract coal from a pristine Appalachian landscape. Too bad this process, known as mountaintop removal mining, is terrible if you live near the mined mountain, or in a watershed downstream, or on a planet faced with the imminent threat of ever-increasing temperatures brought about by greenhouse-gas emissions. [ Read More ]
Bad actor coal company seeks to expand surface mine in endangered candy darter habitat
Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 | Posted by Willie Dodson | 1 Comment
Surface mining of this scale is bad news for the environment even if it is conducted within the confines of the law, but South Fork Coal Company’s history of regulatory infractions is almost as egregious as Greenbrier County is beautiful. [ Read More ]
EPA poised to botch update of important air quality rule
Thursday, February 16th, 2023 | Posted by Willie Dodson | 1 Comment
PM 2.5 is a lethal combination of metals, organic matter, acids and other substances so tiny that they can be inhaled and delivered directly into the bloodstream. These airborne pollutants are emitted by tailpipes, power plants and numerous other industries. In our region, coal mine dust is an additional source of this pollutant. [ Read More ]
Five reasons why the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans for a major gas buildout must be stopped
Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 | Posted by Brianna Knisley | 1 Comment
TVA is currently ignoring federal climate goals for a 100% carbon-free energy sector by 2035 to push forward a plan for the second-largest fossil fuel buildout of any utility in the country. These plans will line the pockets of two mega gas corporations, fuel climate change and devastate southeastern habitat and public health. [ Read More ]
Carbon removal on reforested mine lands: One nature-based solution for two deep challenges
Monday, February 13th, 2023 | Posted by AV's Intern Team | 1 Comment
Imagine a landscape that, 10 years ago, was a moonscape mountaintop removal coal mine and is now carefully managed as a large-scale working forest growing trees to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combat climate change. Appalachian Voices is exploring making this vision a reality in the years to come through a reforestation project that engages with the emerging carbon offset market. [ Read More ]
North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: Planned gas expansion is unnecessary and harmful
Friday, February 10th, 2023 | Posted by Maddy Koch | No Comments
The argument for methane gas relies heavily on outdated models that inflate the cost-effectiveness of the fuel. Replacing coal with renewable energy is now cheaper than replacing coal with continued fossil fuel use. [ Read More ]
North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: What the utilities commission got wrong
Wednesday, February 8th, 2023 | Posted by Maddy Koch | No Comments
While many organizations, including Appalachian Voices, released initial statements when the Carbon Plan was finalized, there is a lot to unpack in the 137-page document. Specifically, its release is riding on the coattails of Duke Energy’s proposed rate increases and rolling blackouts due to the failures of fossil fuels. [ Read More ]
Guest post: Alabama electric cooperatives rank last in new regional scorecard
Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 | Posted by Guest Contributor | No Comments
Rural communities won billions of dollars to fund renewable energy
Friday, January 13th, 2023 | Posted by Brianna Knisley | No Comments
Last year, rural advocates won big in the Inflation Reduction Act by securing billions of dollars for rural communities to implement clean energy. Now, the USDA Rural Utilities Service is asking for input on how to set up and roll out these funding programs. [ Read More ]
Virginia legislators must take utility shutoff protections seriously this winter
Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 | Posted by Emily Piontek | 10 Comments
Virginia is one of only seven states that doesn’t protect residents from getting their power or water shut off over unpaid bills during extreme weather. State legislators aim to change that in the 2023 General Assembly session. [ Read More ]
