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Farming and Fracking
How uncertain property rights affect agriculture in West Virginia By Dave Walker This year will be Steve Vortigern and his wife Sunshine’s tenth year of farming in Preston County, W.Va. On 41 acres, they grow more than 40 different varieties of organic vegetables and raise grass-fed beef for local customers at Round Right Farm. In…
Read MoreVirginia’s Clean Power Plan approach unchanged after court’s action
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe stated that Virginia will “stay the course” and continue working to reduce carbon pollution after the U.S. Supreme Court hit pause on the Clean Power Plan. But there’s still more that we’re counting on Governor McAuliffe to deliver.
Read MoreOwning the Mountains: Appalachia’s history of corporate control
By Elizabeth E. Payne Throughout the history of the United States, Appalachia has attracted the attention of outside investors hoping to profit from the region’s valuable commodities. First timber, then coal and now natural gas are all highly valued. To ensure access to these resources, early investors bought large parcels of land in Appalachia. “By…
Read MoreFracked-gas Pipelines Would Threaten Homes and Dreams
A Tale of Two Families By Cat McCue At the top of Sinking Creek Mountain in western Virginia, where Craig, Giles and Montgomery counties meet, sits a 50-acre parcel of land with views in all directions. To Judy and Steve Hodges, who built their dream home here in 2003, it’s heaven. “We’re from the ‘70s.…
Read MoreBlasted: Homeowners near mine seek recourse for property damage
Karen and Jerry Kirk live in a home that they believe was damaged during blasting for a nearby surface mine. Despite years of frustration, they have been unable to get compensation for the damage to their property.
Read MoreEnvironmental Votetracker – Feb/March 2016
See how Appalachian congressional representatives voted on several environmental issues in December 2015 and January 2016.
Read MoreScientists Review to EPA Fracking Report
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board raised questions about the scientific basis of a report by the agency on fracking.
Read MoreSolar Jobs Overtake Oil and Gas, Coal Mining in China, Methane Leak in California
News briefs from across the energy sector
Read MoreVirginia General Assembly compromises on solar
While football fans were pumping up for the Big Game last weekend, supporters of clean power in Virginia were gearing up for a different showdown as key committees in the General Assembly prepared to take up important clean energy legislation.
Read MorePOWER+ Plan has a place in Obama’s final budget
This morning, President Obama sent his plan for the federal government’s expenses during fiscal year 2017 to Congress. It lays out the president’s vision for spending on everything from clean energy to cancer research. We’re happy to announce that the POWER+ Plan is included.
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