National coalition urges Congress to boost support for communities transitioning from fossil fuels

CONTACT: Jeremy Richardson, Union of Concerned Scientists, jrichardson@ucsusa.org, 301-442-1326 Cat McCue, Appalachian Voices, cat@appvoices.org, 434-293-6373 Washington, DC – As America continues to transition toward clean energy, Congress must take swift and comprehensive action to support the workers and communities — from Appalachia to the West — who have historically depended on the coal, oil and…

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Advocates call on Biden to stop TVA disconnections during pandemic

CONTACT: Bri Knisley, Appalachian Voices Tennessee Campaign Coordinator, 865-219-3225, brianna@appvoices.org Aisha Dukule, Press Officer, Friends of the Earth 202-893-3502, adukule@foe.org Knoxville, TN — Groups in Tennessee and across the country delivered more than 21,500 petition signatures to leaders in Washington DC today, calling on President Biden to issue an Executive Order compelling the Tennessee Valley…

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Bills to ensure coal communities are part of America’s economic recovery introduced in Congress

CONTACT: Thom Kay, Legislative Director, thom.kay@appvoices.org, 864-580-1843 Cat McCue, Communications Strategist, cat@appvoices.org, 434-293-6373 Read our March 5 blog for more background. Washington, DC — As coal-impacted communities grapple with economic decline and public health risks made significantly worse by the Covid-19 crisis, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) introduced two bills in…

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Tennessee Valley Authority must commit to 100% clean energy, align with Biden climate goals

CONTACT: Gaby Sarri-Tobar, Center for Biological Diversity, 202-594-7271, gsarritobar@biologicaldiversity.org Daniel Tait, Energy Alabama, 256-812-1431, dtait@alcse.org Brianna Knisley, Appalachian Voices, 937-725-0645, brianna@appvoices.org KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The federally owned Tennessee Valley Authority must align its energy planning with President Biden’s recent executive order requiring that the federal electricity sector completely decarbonize by 2035, energy justice groups said…

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A way forward for Appalachia

Our legislative director outlines a list of action items for the Biden administration — suspending utility shutoffs during the pandemic, strengthening oversight of the fossil fuel industry, and moving swiftly to support just economic transition in coal-impacted communities.

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Groups call on Biden administration to act swiftly on just transition

As all eyes turn toward economic relief proposals on the first full day of the Biden Administration, Appalachian Voices and 12 partner organizations working in coal-impacted communities from Navajo Nation to Appalachia are urging the new President to take several immediate actions to support the people and places hit hardest by the decline of the…

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President-elect to tap NC’s Michael Regan for EPA

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce the selection of Michael Regan to head up the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Regan is currently Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, a position he has held since 2017. During his tenure, he oversaw the historic settlement with Duke Energy for a full cleanup of…

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