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Boo! Should Duke Energy’s shift from electricity rates to mandatory fees scare us?
In addition to the thousands of customers, NC’s customer advocate has come out strongly against Duke Energy Progress’s 14 percent rate hike. There’s even more to the story when you dig in …
Read MoreWhite House nominates coal industry insider for director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Contact: Erin Savage — Central Appalachian Program Manager, 206-769-8286, erin [at] appvoices.org Davie Ransdell — Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, 502-229-1122, davie.ransdell [at] gmail.com The White House today announced the nomination of J. Steven Gardner for Director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), the federal agency charged with mitigating the impacts of…
Read MoreSeeking Opportunities in Solar Energy
Solar energy is on the rise across the nation. According to The Solar Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing solar energy, “one out of every 50 new jobs added in the United States in 2016 was created by the solar industry.” Restrictive policies and lower population density, however, have led to solar power being…
Read MoreTreasures of the Parkway
Here, we outline some of the best overlooks, hikes and historic sites along the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read MoreThe Rules of the Solar Game
Nothing is more free than the sun and the wind, right? The answer is not as clear-cut as one might think, and is different from state to state and even within the same state, as utilities often set their own renewable energy policies. The cost of both residential and utility-scale solar has fallen greatly in…
Read MoreHarnessing Solar in Appalachia
The United States is in the midst of a solar boom. The Solar Energy Industries Association reported a 97 percent increase in solar installations in 2016 compared to 2015. But as other states take advantage of solar, much of Appalachia is left in the dark with legislation that limits solar expansion. Even within Appalachian states,…
Read MoreUnique Solar Applications
By Otto Solberg Although solar fields generate large amounts of renewable energy, the ground underneath is commonly planted with turf grasses that do not effectively drain rainwater and require carbon-wasting maintenance. These innovative applications of solar energy are minimizing those negative impacts and creating more benefits for incorporating solar. Sun-Raised Sheep To maintain the land…
Read MoreFirstEnergy and Murray Energy Face Bankruptcy
Murray Energy could go bankrupt by the end of 2017 if the federal government does not intervene to save FirstEnergy, one of Murray’s main customers, from bankruptcy.
Read MoreFive Tennessee Counties Help State Reach Air Quality Standards
For the first time in 20 years, Knox, Anderson, Loudon, Blount and Roane counties in Tennessee have met federal air quality standards for particulate matter.
Read MorePennsylvania Protects Stream
The Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board recently rejected a permit for underground longwall mining at the Polen Run stream.
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