Guest Contributor, Author at Appalachian Voices

June 27, 2014

Parallels between New England whalers and Appalachian coal miners

Nick Mullins, a former Va. coal miner, discovers the parallels between New England whalers from two centuries ago and the current conundrum facing Appalachia’s coal mining community. Nick and his family are journeying around the east this summer on the “Breaking Clean Tour” to raise public awareness of mountaintop removal mining, and learn about more sustainable paths to prosperity.

May 21, 2014

Appalachian Power wants higher bills for homeowners who go solar

Guest post by Virginia writer and lawyer Ivy Main:
Appalachian Power Company is seeking permission from utility regulators to impose new “standby” charges on residential customers who install solar systems larger than 10 kilowatts. The fee is included in the company’s latest rate proposal, now before the State Corporation Commission.

April 10, 2014

Rural Electric Co-ops Can Renew Community Spirit

Guest Contributor Brian Depew: The cooperative spirit that brought electric service to rural America represents the community-driven values of small towns. Today, more than 900 rural electric co-ops serve 42 million people in 47 states. Co-ops remain democratically controlled, run by elected customer-members. But they have drifted from their community-oriented mission.

March 10, 2014

Virginia Legislature Ends with Modest Progress on Solar

Guest post by Virginia writer and lawyer Ivy Main: Advocates of enlightened energy policy march into session every January bright-eyed and optimistic, only to become mired in the slough of despond. We watch the best bills die, while bills we thought too backward to survive the light of day flourish like an invasive species. Yet even in Virginia, the past few years have produced glimmers of hope that suggest a slowly shifting mindset among legislators.