Posts Tagged ‘Energy Efficiency’
Innovating with Electric Cooperatives
By Sarah Kellogg An inspiring, forward-thinking businessman, Mike Couick works to distribute affordable electricity to rural homes. “I don’t believe it’s a sustainable business plan to try to sell electricity that a member can’t afford,” Couick says. “The bottom line is their satisfaction and well-being.” Couick is the CEO of the Electric Cooperatives of South…
Read MoreProgress and Setbacks for Appalachia’s Environment
Asheville City Council Approves Clean Energy Resolution In October, the city council of Asheville, N.C., unanimously approved a resolution to phase out the city’s use of coal-fired electricity and increase power generated from cleaner sources and saved through energy efficiency. Led by local citizen groups including the Western North Carolina Alliance and the Asheville Beyond…
Read MoreGateway to Sustainability
By Kimber Ray For Patrick Ironwood, the point where the Sweet Gum Gateway home ends and the wild lands of the Cumberland Plateau begin is blurred, with the sweeping porch and edible landscape of Sweet Gum elegantly blending with the natural environment. Sweet Gum is just one of many such exemplary homes at the Sequatchie…
Read MoreMajor Efficiency Bill Stalled in the Senate
By Brian Sewell Since being introduced to the Senate in July, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, also known as Shaheen-Portman (S. 1392), promised to be the first major energy bill passed by the Senate in more than six years. Hours after debate began on the bill, however, that possibility diminished with the addition…
Read MoreAppalachian State University Competes in European Solar Decathlon
By Chelsey Fisher After winning “People’s Choice” in the 2011 U.S. Solar Decathlon, Appalachian State University has been chosen to take their ideas across the ocean. ASU — one of three universities chosen from the United States — will pair with Université d’Angers in France to compete in the 2014 European Solar Decathlon, which will…
Read MoreInterview with Tom Perriello
Tom Perriello, a lifelong resident of Ablemarle County, Va., is a steadfast supporter of environmental and poverty concerns. He used his background in law to prosecute warlords in West Africa, was named one of Time Magazine’s “40 under 40” in 2010, and represented Virginia’s 5th district from 2009 to 2011. While in Congress, he supported…
Read MoreOil and Gas Boom Straining America’s Energy Infrastructure
By Brian Sewell The United States is experiencing a natural gas boom largely due to advances in drilling and extraction technologies. And in recent years, some have celebrated the fuel as a bridge to a clean energy and carbon-free future. But according to a report by the Center for American Progress, the other side of…
Read MoreGreen Visions
Chattanooga’s high-tech advances are seeded with grassroots principles By Molly Moore As dusk falls on the north bank of the Tennessee River, streetlights turn on at Chattanooga’s Coolidge Park. Rows of gleaming bicycles wait for the next morning’s bikeshare riders, and the sun’s last rays fade from a park building’s green roof. If the streetlights…
Read MorePolicy Expert to Steer New Energy Savings Program
The Southeast possesses some of the greatest resources for making energy use more efficient, and Appalachian Voices has a plan to help unleash that potential. This spring, we are launching a new program focused on promoting energy savings and reducing the use of coal-fired power in rural Appalachia and the Southeast. Rory McIlmoil, a long-time…
Read MoreThe Inside Scoop on Residential Efficiency Policies
By Matt Grimley Jim and Edrianna Stilwells’ home in Fairview, N.C., is immersed in nature. It sits at 3,500 feet and offers nearly 360 degrees of mountainous views. It was designed to be energy efficient, and with lessening their carbon footprint in mind, the Stilwells decided to add a solar thermal system to their home.…
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