Written by Katie Kienbaum
Katie Kienbaum
Originally from Virginia, Katie is serving as the 2016-17 AmeriCorps Energy Savings Outreach Associate in Boone, N.C.
Home Energy Makeover Contest winner announced
When Amy found her small cabin, it felt like home instantly. There was just one problem — in the winter it was bitterly cold despite all of her expensive efforts to heat it.
Beyond power: Electric cooperatives can provide more than just electricity to meet rural needs
Rural electric cooperatives’ legacy of rural economic development uniquely positions them to go beyond energy and find innovative solutions to challenges facing rural communities.
N.C. “Home Energy Makeover Contest” Redux
We’re launching our second High Country Home Energy Makeover Contest for residential members of Blue Ridge Energy (BRE) in North Carolina, with a grand-prize of $2,500 in home improvements.
Serving residents by saving energy
Students at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. spent a recent Saturday volunteering with Appalachian Voices and others to give two local homes an energy efficiency boost. The work was part of the school’s 18th annual MLK Challenge. “They caught energy leaks I knew nothing about,” said Faith Wright of Vilas, N.C., who was grateful for the volunteer energy of what she called the “student worker bees.”
Rural electric co-ops invest in community solar
Community solar is a cooperative alternative to installing solar panels on an individual residence. Several rural electric cooperatives in Appalachia are now providing this option for their members who want to use renewable energy.
Lighting up the night with the Daylight Savings Challenge
To make this winter a little easier for folks in Boone, N.C. facing high energy bills, Appalachian Voices devised the Daylight Savings Challenge. Five student volunteers helped us distribute energy efficient LED light bulbs to seniors. All together, the project should save the residents at least $280 a year. That translates to about 1.75 tons of coal that won’t get burned and more than four tons of carbon dioxide pollution that won’t contribute to climate change
Boone community comes together to tackle energy waste
At the first-ever Boone Energy Stakeholder Meeting, Appalachian Voices and other stakeholders took an important first step toward identifying solutions that could help tackle the problem of energy waste for the Town of Boone.
Join our “Daylight Savings Challenge”
The autumn Daylight Savings Time often brings higher energy bills to Appalachian mountain communities. To help folks with their winter energy bills, the Appalachian Voices Energy Savings team has come up with the “Daylight Savings Challenge.” This fall, 100 Appalachian State University students will replace 160 old light bulbs with energy-efficient LED bulbs for Boone-area residents by the November 6, helping residents save money and energy.