Virginia is one of only seven states that doesn’t protect residents from getting their power or water shut off over unpaid bills during extreme weather. State legislators aim to change that in the 2023 General Assembly session. [ Read More ]
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Emily Piontek
A transplant to Southwestern Virginia from the Midwest, Emily engages with communities and works to build a more equitable and sustainable energy system as our Virginia Energy Democracy Field Coordinator.Virginia legislators must take utility shutoff protections seriously this winter
Tuesday, January 10th, 2023 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Planning ahead for a bright future in Virginia
Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 | Posted by Emily Piontek | 1 Comment
Solar is essential to meeting urgent emissions reduction goals, but concerns about smart land use and the community and environmental impacts of large-scale solar don't have easy answers. [ Read More ]
Pushing for democracy in electric co-ops
Saturday, June 5th, 2021 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Communities in Appalachia are starting to make progress reforming their electric co-ops to be more democratic and transparent in their governance. [ Read More ]
Energy democracy in Virginia: Utopia or a real possibility?
Thursday, December 10th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Energy democracy is taking shape in Virginia. Join our statewide workgroup and add your voice to the call for a clean, equitable energy system. [ Read More ]
Stake a claim in your electric co-op!
Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
The 2020 election season is over. But wait, there's more! Next year in Virginia, you have the opportunity to run for your local electric co-op board. [ Read More ]
Dominion holding out on struggling families
Thursday, October 8th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Virginia lawmakers must take this opportunity, now, to compel Dominion Energy to forgive debt of families and businesses struggling from the Covid-economic crisis. [ Read More ]
Utility affordability in the time of Coronavirus
Friday, August 14th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Equitable access to affordable water and energy services -- fundamental to human well-being and public health -- has been a significant though largely unseen problem for decades. Then Covid struck. [ Read More ]
Energy Democracy for Appalachian Power: New workshops scheduled!
Tuesday, August 11th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Our (virtual) summer series in Virginia is going strong! We’re happy to announce two upcoming workshops about Energy Democracy and Appalachian Power. [ Read More ]
A win for solar! FERC protects net-metering
Monday, July 20th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Thanks to input from our supporters and beyond, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dismissed a petition that would have made solar net-metering illegal. [ Read More ]
A shady, dangerous attack on clean energy
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
In a major threat to clean energy advances across the U.S., a special interest group wants federal regulators to change the rules for solar owners -- in a bad way. [ Read More ]
Belong to an electric co-op? Your vote is needed!
Tuesday, May 19th, 2020 | Posted by Emily Piontek | No Comments
Most rural folks rely on electric co-ops for their power, and as "member-owners," they vote on board members who decide everything from rates to whether clean energy is part of their energy source. [ Read More ]
