FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 9, 2022 CONTACT: Jan Canterbury, (703) 314-3996, nutzynomad@gmail.com NORTON, Va. — The key questions posed in the new documentary “Change-makers of the SWVA Coalfields,” are deeply felt: Can we really revitalize Southwest Virginia? How can we…
Experts say that coal workers will need wage replacement and retraining to successfully transition to a clean energy economy.
Shared or community solar can be a good way to experience the benefits of solar without a high upfront cost. But customers of Appalachian Power in Southwest Virginia are still prohibited by state law from installing shared solar arrays.
CONTACT: Cat McCue, Sr. Communications Strategist, 434-293-6373, cat@appvoices.org With coal communities more in need of support and investment than ever before, today Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) unveiled two bills along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bob Casey (D-PA), Tim Kaine…
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…
Large, out-of-state companies often hold huge tracts of land in Southwest Virginia and across the region for its perceived coal or timber potential — making it difficult for nearby communities to use the land themselves.
Several public entities in the region are urging Appalachian Power Company to loosen their restrictive solar policies. On the sunnier side, Appalachian Voices and Iron Works Cycling secured a $25,000 grant for a solar array on the Big Stone Gap, Va., bicycle shop.
CONTACT: Chelsea Barnes, New Economy Program Manager, (276) 207-9636, chelsea@appvoices.org BIG STONE GAP, Va. — Iron Works Cycling and Appalachian Voices have received a grant from the Solar Moonshot Program to install a 16-kilowatt solar energy system on the Big…
For communities that depended on coal, the pandemic is exacerbating an already-urgent set of interlocking problems. Two regional coalitions have released plans to chart a brighter future for communities hit hardest by the changing coal economy.
