Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Predictable politics giving way to popular support for POWER+
In Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee, cities and counties with long histories of coal mining are advocating for the POWER+ Plan, a federal budget initiative proposed by the White House to build a more diverse economy in the communities hardest hit by the regional coal industry’s decline. They deserve to be heard.
Arch Coal, ICG to address water pollution violations at coal mines
Yesterday afternoon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced a settlement with Arch Coal and International Coal Group Inc. to resolve hundreds of illegal pollution discharge violations made by the conglomerate at its coal mines throughout Appalachia, including a fine of $2 million and required upgrades to their operations to protect “communities overburdened by pollution.”
U.S. coal giant Alpha Natural Resources files for bankruptcy
Alpha Natural Resources, one of the largest coal mining companies in the United States and a big player in the Appalachian coal market, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday of this week, blaming “an unprecedented period of distress with increased competition from natural gas, an oversupply in the global coal market, historically low prices due to weaker international and domestic economies, and increasing government regulation that has pushed electric utilities to transition away from coal-fired power plants.
Tennessee clean energy Jobs booming
According to a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs, Tennessee is seeing clean energy job growth at nearly three times the rate of overall state employment growth. With the Clean Power Plan final rule released on Monday, the Volunteer state has an opportunity to not only spur job growth in renewable energy, but also adhere to the Clean Power Plan’s guidelines for reducing carbon emissions.
Obama Administration releases final version of the Clean Power Plan
This week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final version of the Clean Power Plan, the first-ever national rule limiting carbon pollution from existing power plants to safeguard public health and help address climate disruption.
