Front Porch Blog
Clean energy tax credits: Why are they important for Appalachia?
On the surface, federal tax credits may seem overly complicated or unrelatable. However, understanding the intricacies of tax law isn’t necessary to witness the positive impact these incentives are making in the country.
Read MoreSouthwest Virginia’s Solar Summit for Rural Appalachia
This year, the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia decided to take on a new challenge: hosting the region’s first-ever solar summit! Inspired by the 2017 Wise Solar Fair, the Southwest Virginia Economic Forum and various summits hosted in Richmond, Virginia, the SWVA Solar Summit will take place at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise’s…
Read MorePutting faces to the floodwaters: The need for disaster preparedness in one rural community
There is something particularly heartbreaking about pulling a baby’s sock from the muddy banks of the Powell River while the current administration dismantles funding for community-led efforts to better prepare for floods like this one. On Feb. 25, several Appalachian Voices employees visited the town of Pennington Gap to offer help removing flood debris from…
Read MoreTrump administration cutting vital health and safety services for miners
Coal miners, families and advocates were still trying to figure out what the termination of leases for dozens of Mine Safety and Health Administration offices by Elon Musk’s DOGE meant for the work of mine safety inspectors when even worse news came.
Read MoreCommunity improvement projects proceed in Pound as some funding remains uncertain
Community projects in the town of Pound, Virginia are moving forward, as the federal funding that has helped to make some of them possible faces an uncertain future.
Read MoreEPA announces rollback of decades’ worth of regulations
On March 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced what it called the “biggest deregulatory action in U.S. history,” a rollback of dozens of important environmental health protections that will put communities across the nation at risk and let polluters go wild.
Read MoreVirginia’s 2025 General Assembly session wraps up
Matt Allenbaugh shares a few highlights from the Virginia General Assembly. We’ll share more updates on the bills we’ve worked on after the governor’s veto session wraps up on April 2 and we know which bills are becoming law!
Read MoreResidents fight for Kentucky water
SB 89 would strip protections for Kentucky’s groundwater, headwater ephemeral streams and many wetlands, increasing pollution risks, raising water treatment costs and exacerbating flood risks for communities across the commonwealth.
Read MoreTVA doesn’t make public participation easy, but showing up is making a difference
On a cold and rainy Wednesday afternoon in mid-February, nearly 20 advocates and community members trudged to downtown Knoxville to speak and show support for our concerns as the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors met for its first public listening session of the new year.
Read MoreFederal regulators shut down illegal WV coal haul road — Interior quietly reopens it at company’s request
In a whirlwind of conflicting decisions, the U.S. Department of the Interior has quietly allowed South Fork Coal Company to resume hauling coal through the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia — just weeks after Biden administration regulators shut down the unlawful haul road.
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