Front Porch Blog
Updates from Appalachia
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.
Virginia legislators must take utility shutoff protections seriously this winter
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.
Guest blog: Electric co-ops need to remember the importance of affordability for their members
Blue Ridge Energy has a co-op principle on their website that states, “Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.” I don’t know about you, but I have never been asked to help set policy or make decisions regarding my energy that I am paying for.
