Clinchco community meeting on energy resilience

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2025

CONTACT
Dan Radmacher, Media Specialist, (540) 798-6683, dan@appvoices.org 

WISE, Va. — This July, the town of Clinchco and Appalachian Voices are hosting a community meeting to inform energy backup planning in the area. The community meeting will be open to the public and will take place on July 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Clinchco Senior Citizens Center.

Community meetings are crucial to ensuring that any emergency energy backup system planned within the localities addresses the needs of individuals experiencing power outages and other emergency situations. Food and drinks will be provided for attendees. Outcomes of the meeting will be included in an energy resilience hub analysis and case study paid for by the Virginia Department of Energy’s Virginia Energy Resilience Study. 

“Clinchco has solicited input from community members during three previous Community Strong listening sessions that were designed to identify issues in the communities and prioritize resiliency projects to address them,” said Kara Dotten, Appalachian Voices’ New Economy Program Coordinator. “Energy resilience planning would tie these projects together by creating a plan for a resilience hub and providing a central space to bridge the critical gaps in infrastructure present in Clinchco and provide shelter, power, community gathering space and water to residents in the time of need.”

Community members can RSVP and learn more at www.swvasolar.org/meetings/ or by contacting Austin Counts at austin@appvoices.org/(276) 591-2175. 

The meetings and planning efforts are funded by the Virginia Department of Energy’s Virginia Energy Resilience Study. 

ABOUT 

The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia: The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia is a group of nonprofit and community action agencies, colleges, state agencies, and other interested citizens and businesses seeking to develop a renewable energy industry cluster in the seven coalfield counties of Southwest Virginia.  For more information on the Solar Workgroup, visit swvasolar.org