RECLAIM Act back in Congress

The bill to expedite spending of $1 billion in coal-impacted communities to repurpose old mine sites for new economic projects has been reintroduced into Congress with bipartisan support.

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Southwest Va. group plans for more solar energy in coal region

CONTACT: Chelsea Barnes New Economy Program Manager Appalachian Voices chelsea@appvoices.org (276) 207-9636 The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia is seeking bids for 12 solar projects totalling 2.73 megawatts of energy generation as part of its Commercial-Scale Group Purchase Program. The projects to be developed on businesses, nonprofits and local government properties across Lee, Scott, Tazewell,…

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Southwest Virginia awarded grants for innovative coal mine reclamation projects

CONTACT Chelsea Barnes New Economy Program Manager chelsea@appvoices.org, (276) 207-9636 Norton, Va. — Ten community revitalization projects that will reclaim old coal mining sites in Southwest Virginia will receive $10 million in grant money administered by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. The grants come through congressional funding for the Abandoned Mine Lands…

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Southwest Va. solar group seeks local partners for group purchase program

CONTACT Chelsea Barnes New Economy Program Manager chelsea@appvoices.org, (276) 207-9636 The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia has announced an opportunity for businesses, government and nonprofit entities to go solar and save money on electricity bills through its second Commercial-Scale Solar Group Purchase. In 2018, the workgroup successfully facilitated its first Commercial-Scale Solar Group Purchase for…

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Virginia company wins bid to negotiate contracts to install six solar projects in Southwest Virginia

Wise, Va. — The Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia is pleased to announce that the team led by NCI, Inc. of Richmond, VA has been awarded the 1.5-megawatt Southwest Virginia Solar Project Portfolio. NCI teamed with Acorn Electrical Specialists (Piney Flats, Tenn.) and RockBridge Energy (Savannah, GA) to complete the Request for Proposal. The portfolio…

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20 former coal sites in Appalachia identified for innovative economic development

Norton, VA — A coalition of groups in Central Appalachia today issued a report highlighting 20 innovate projects that would clean up abandoned coal mine lands and give them new life as sustainable agriculture businesses, solar farms or other economic ventures. The report, Many Voices, Many Solutions: Innovative Mine Reclamation in Central Appalachia, provides economic…

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Remaking Downtowns

People at Elmwood Park

Communities across Appalachia are striving to bring new energy to downtowns that have suffered from population decline or the loss of once-dominant industries.

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