Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Community solar projects expand access to clean energy in the Tennessee Valley and beyond
Guest Contributor Taylor Allred: Solar fever is sweeping the nation, but not everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of the clean energy opportunity at hand. One promising solution to the obstacles limiting access to solar are community solar projects, which allow individuals to purchase a portion of a larger-scale solar installation that is typically managed by their utility.
A schizoid rate case and a climate directive in Virginia
A recent order from the Virginia State Corporation Commission could spell trouble for residential and small-scale solar in the state. But there is also reason to have hope as regulators rejected a proposal by Appalachian Power Company to nearly double the fixed fees that show up on its customers’ monthly bills. Here’s a look at a schizoid rate case and what it could mean for Virginia’s energy future.
HBO’s “Saving My Tomorrow” to feature footage from Appalachian Voices
This coming Monday, HBO will premiere an entirely new documentary series that celebrates the children who will inherit the planet and their appreciation of the wonders of the natural world. A lyrical mix of science, animation, and music, “Saving My Tomorrow” is a call from kids to kids to help take care of the planet.
Coal ash cleanup still contested in North Carolina
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency puts the final touches on the first-ever federal regulation of coal ash, North Carolina’s response to the Dan River spill is still hotly contested and new controversies about the best ways to clean up coal ash are beginning to emerge.
Nothing to see here
The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s dismissive attitude toward the severity of mining pollution in the state is unsurprising after citizen cases against one coal company exposed the agency’s utter failure to enforce the Clean Water Act. But the jig is up. The Cabinet should stop trying to cover up its incompetence and actually do its job.
