Highlights from September’s Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia Community Energy Resilience Meeting

Last month, the Pennington Gap Community Center buzzed with enthusiasm as the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia hosted its Community Energy Resilience Meeting on Sept. 11. Attendees gathered at the center, located downtown beside the historic Lee Theater, to explore ways to improve their communities’ ability to handle and recover from energy challenges and natural disasters, such as flooding, through solar energy initiatives and community planning.

The event provided a platform for residents of the seven coalfield counties of Lee, Wise, Scott, Russell, Buchanan, Tazewell and Dickenson to come together, share ideas and learn about opportunities and resources. Representatives from Freedom Chevrolet in Big Stone Gap were also on hand to offer prizes for a raffle drawing at the end of the meeting, as well as free test drives of an electric car. Refreshments were provided by Locals, a Pennington Gap-based deli and sandwich shop. 

The highlight of the meeting was a panel discussion featuring experts and community leaders from the towns of Pennington Gap and Dungannon, as well as Appalachian Voices staff members. The panel included Appalachian Voices’ New Economy Program Manager Robert Kell and New Economy Program Coordinator Emma Kelly, as well Pennington Gap Town Manager Keith Harless and Dungannon resident and Appalachian Voices Board Member Peggy Mathews. Appalachian Voices’ Southwest Virginia Solar and Electrification Project Manager Austin Counts provided opening remarks.

Kell emphasized the importance of community engagement in solar development, saying, “Being in the room today, you’re already ahead of the game. The Solar Workgroup is an effective entity to help you navigate how to employ solar in your communities. The funding is out there and available.” 

Harless expressed his excitement about the gathering, noting the representation from various counties and organizations. 

“I was very excited to come in and see all the different counties and different organizations showing an interest in what Appalachian Voices is trying to do and ways to save on energy, and for them to take what they’ve learned back to their communities,” he said. 

Harless believes these meetings serve as “a spark plug” for collaborative efforts across communities. 

“The more information that you can get out to people, the more people buy into it, and the easier it is to share those ideas,” he says.

Teresa Brown, a geology professor at UVA-Wise, shared her enthusiasm for the broad participation in local solar planning and development, especially in rural areas. 

“Even though the town of Pennington Gap has run up against a bunch of obstacles in trying to get solar on their buildings, that didn’t stop them,” Brown said. “They just kept going! That’s the type of resilience that Southwest Virginia’s all about.” UVA-Wise students in attendance recommended the opportunity for solar and storage to transform student dorms into resilience hubs on the UVA-Wise campus. 

Stay tuned for more events and initiatives as we work together towards a brighter, more resilient energy future! To learn more about the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, visit https://swvasolar.org/.