Written by Brianna Knisley

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Brianna Knisley

Originally from southern Ohio, Bri has been organizing with communities in Tennessee since joining Appalachian Voices in 2017. She enjoys foraging, growing things and bringing fancy desserts to porch sits.

Five reasons why the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans for a major gas buildout must be stopped

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.

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Rural communities won billions of dollars to fund renewable energy

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.

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Power outages and rolling blackouts hit Appalachia and the Southeast during winter storm

During this weekend’s unusually low temperatures, people whose power is produced by the Tennessee Valley Authority and Duke Energy have experienced coordinated, rolling electricity blackouts to reduce electricity demand and prevent major grid outages that could take days or weeks to restore.

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Rally outside of Jacobs Engineering in Knoxville in December 2019. To the left of the photo in the brown hat is the late John Stewart, a former TVA employee and unyielding advocate for the Kingston workers. Photo by Todd Waterman

We won’t give up on justice for the Kingston coal ash workers

Hundreds of workers who helped clean up after the massive Kingston Fossil Plant coal ash spill have gotten sick and dozens have died. A hearing before the Tennessee Supreme Court was the latest stop in the ongoing battle for justice.

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Knoxville community groups call for affordable utilities

The Knoxville Water and Energy for All campaign is made up of community and faith groups with a mission to bring solutions to the root problems of unaffordable bills and disconnections in Knoxville.

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Man with gray hair facing power plant, back of shirt says Ash Spill First Responder

Fight like hell for the living: Honoring Kingston coal ash workers

Twelve years after the Kingston coal ash spill, hundreds of cleanup workers are sick with lung diseases, blood and brain cancers and other ailments, and families report that as many as 53 workers have died from their exposure to the toxic Kingston coal ash.

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TVA’s Covid relief fund should be a starting point

We’ve joined dozens of organizations to demand that TVA provide funding for a moratorium on electricity shutoffs in the region and debt relief for families struggling from Covid-related economic hardship.

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Groups sue TVA over never-ending contracts

Appalachian Voices has joined three other organizations in a lawsuit that challenges the Tennessee Valley Authority’s long-term contracts with local power companies. These perpetual contracts undermine the local power companies’ bargaining power to negotiate for cleaner, cheaper electricity.

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quote from a Volunteer Electric Co-op member about her and her husband's experience being disconnected and then having to pay $30 to be reconnected

Tennessee needs a moratorium on utility shutoffs

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our health and livelihoods, utility shutoffs are hurting residents throughout Tennessee. Call Gov. Bill Lee today to ask him to stop utilities from disconnecting people from vital services during this crisis.

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