High Country residents speak up to save energy

BRE CEO 2Appalachian Voices joined with numerous others this month in asking Blue Ridge Electric co-op to help its members save money and make their homes healthier and more comfortable by financing home energy-efficiency improvements. At the co-op’s annual meeting, CEO Doug Johnson said his team is considering offering debt-free financing for upgrades including home weatherization.

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Video illustrates need for energy efficiency in the High Country

16365617920_c4714ff016_bIn the mountainous northwestern corner of North Carolina, many residents struggle to afford to heat their homes, especially during the region’s long, harsh winters. As part of our High Country Energy Savings campaign, we produced a video featuring the three winners of our High Country Home Energy Makeover contest that provides a glimpse of their experiences with high energy bills and the benefits of greater energy efficiency.

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Appalachian Regional Commission receives citizen input

Subregions_2009_MapOn June 4, the Appalachian Regional Commission held one of its five 2016-2020 Strategic Plan Listening Sessions in Morehead, Ky. The session successfully facilitated the sharing of ideas by Appalachian stakeholders that will inform the commission’s plan for improving economic opportunities in communities across the region.

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McAuliffe Fast-tracks Efficiency

Citing the clean energy sector as a “key strategic growth area” for Virginia’s economy, Governor Terry McAuliffe moved up the state’s goal to reduce retail electricity use by 10 percent from 2022 to 2020. The governor appointed 12 individuals from the public and private sector to his Executive Committee on Energy Efficiency, which is tasked…

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Who’s casting shadows over N.C. solar?

FB-Cover02-croppedWhen it comes to jobs, pollution, and sustainability, energy from the sun beats energy from fracked gas hands down. So why are N.C. legislators and Duke Energy casting shadows over the state’s potential to become #1 in solar?

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Survey says: Virginians want clean energy

rtd2 A bi-partisan poll released today shows solid support among Virginia voters for the state to develop a plan to cut carbon pollution and shift to cleaner sources of energy. Meanwhile, in Richmond, the General Assembly is heading in the opposite direction, casting votes in favor of dirty fossil fuels.

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Home Energy Contest Reveals Pressing Need in Western NC

Residents spend three times national average on energy bills Contact: Rory McIlmoil, Energy Policy Director, 828-262-1500, rory@appvoices.org Sarah Kellogg, North Carolina Field Organizer, 828-262-1500, sarah@appvoices.org Boone, N.C. — In announcing the three winners of its “High Country Home Energy Makeover Contest” today, Appalachian Voices said that the need for residential energy efficiency improvements in one…

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Winners of Home Energy Contest in N.C. to be Announced

Results show strong need for energy efficiency funding in the High Country Contact: Sarah Kellogg, N.C. Field Organizer, 828-262-1500, sarah@appvoices.org Boone, N.C. — Next Thursday, January 22, Appalachian Voices will announce the winners of its “High Country Home Energy Makeover” contest, each of whom will receive a comprehensive energy audit and home improvements from local…

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Dewayne Barton: Building Opportunity in West Asheville

By Kimber Ray Dewayne Barton isn’t only referring to nature when he talks about changing the way people relate to their environment. “Just like we polluted a stream or a river, we also polluted communities, and [restoring communities] has to be a part of the solution or it’s not right,” he says. As an artist…

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Bill Howley: Making Electricity Local

By Harrison Dreves In 1974, a trip to West Virginia changed the course of Bill Howley’s life. The recent Yale graduate was immediately entranced by the taste of blackberries, the view of receding ridgelines and the smell of Appalachia in June. Three years later, he purchased 46 acres in a West Virginia valley and made…

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