Front Porch Blog
Survey says … energy efficiency financing needed in western NC
Appalachian Voices recently conducted a Facebook survey in western North Carolina served by rural electric co-ops. Almost 90% of the respondents survey said they had trouble paying their electric bill. Tens of thousands of homes in this region are older and drafty, losing energy through windows, doors and roofs. Yet almost half the population is below the poverty line. A new financing mechanism for energy efficiency improvements could work wonders.
Read MoreKeeping energy through the generations
“We do everything we can to keep energy,” Barbara Taylor says as she heads down the stairs to the basement of the home she has shared with her husband, Paul, in New Tazewell, Tennessee since 1980. Outside it’s a humid 78 degrees, but in the narrow basement room that houses the Taylors’ heat pump it’s cool and dry.
Read MoreAnnouncing the Energy Savings for Appalachia webinar series
If you happened to miss our first energy efficiency on-bill financing webinar on May 11, don’t despair. You can watch the recording of the webinar, which is the first in a series describing the benefits of on-bill financing entitled “Leveraging Energy Savings: On-bill Financing as an Economic Opportunity in the Southeast.”
Read MoreBig steps for Energy Savings for Appalachia
We launched our “Energy Savings for Appalachia” program in 2013 with high hopes of making home energy-efficiency improvements more affordable for more area residents. We reached a major milestone in April when Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp. (BRE), a rural electric cooperative in western North Carolina, announced a new financing option for its members.
Read MoreConnecting the economic dots in Southwest Virginia
More than 300 people turned out for the recent Southwest Virginia Economic Forum hosted by UVA-Wise — perhaps the largest gathering of people coming together to talk specifically and hopefully about solutions for the region’s economic future. A week later, the positive energy coming out of the forum is still palpable in the community, with some feeling it may have been the turning point for the region.
Read MoreDEQ dodges legitimate coal-ash safety concerns
Enabled by anti-regulatory powers in the legislature, the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has abandoned the principles necessary to serve the public. It’s time for lawmakers to acknowledge DEQ’s failures and focus on moving forward on coal ash cleanup.
Read MoreRECLAIMing Central Appalachia
From The Appalachian Voice: A rare bipartisan proposal aims to tackle two pressing issues related to the flailing coal industry — the need for new economic opportunities in central Appalachia and repairing environmental damage from decades of mining.
Read MoreEnergy efficiency success in western N.C.
We’re taking a moment to step back and celebrate a significant milestone in our Energy Savings for Appalachia program. Just a few days ago, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corp. launched a financing program that enables eligible members to make energy efficient home improvements now, and repay the co-op on their monthly bills over time. It’s a win-win for residents, local economies and the environment.
Read MoreDrinking water problems still plague eastern Kentucky
After a nearby creek ran bright yellow last month, residents of Martin County, Ky., still have questions for local and state officials — and that’s not uncommon in a county that has seen its fair share of coal slurry spills and municipal water problems. So why are so many officials ignoring the problem?
Read MoreThe Energy Savings for Appalachia program is expanding: Part 2
After achieving success in the North Carolina High Country, we are expanding the Energy Savings for Appalachia campaign to the service territory of the Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation.
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