Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
Carbon removal on reforested mine lands: One nature-based solution for two deep challenges
Imagine a landscape that, 10 years ago, was a moonscape mountaintop removal coal mine and is now carefully managed as a large-scale working forest growing trees to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and combat climate change. Appalachian Voices is exploring making this vision a reality in the years to come through a reforestation project that engages with the emerging carbon offset market.
North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: Planned gas expansion is unnecessary and harmful
The argument for methane gas relies heavily on outdated models that inflate the cost-effectiveness of the fuel. Replacing coal with renewable energy is now cheaper than replacing coal with continued fossil fuel use.
North Carolina’s Carbon Plan: What the utilities commission got wrong
While many organizations, including Appalachian Voices, released initial statements when the Carbon Plan was finalized, there is a lot to unpack in the 137-page document. Specifically, its release is riding on the coattails of Duke Energy’s proposed rate increases and rolling blackouts due to the failures of fossil fuels.
Guest post: Alabama electric cooperatives rank last in new regional scorecard
If you haven’t heard, Energy Alabama has released an updated scorecard evaluating the performance of Alabama’s rural electric cooperatives in areas such as democratic governance, member services, and access to clean energy, to name a few.
Rural communities won billions of dollars to fund renewable energy
Last year, rural advocates won big in the Inflation Reduction Act by securing billions of dollars for rural communities to implement clean energy. Now, the USDA Rural Utilities Service is asking for input on how to set up and roll out these funding programs.
