Funding to assist NC families with rent, utilities during Covid runs out today

CONTACT: Rory McIlmoil, Appalachian Voices, rory@appvoices.org, (423) 433-9415 Jovita Lee, Center for Biological Diversity, jlee@biologicaldiversity.org, (919) 925-2486 As of 6 pm today, the roughly $175 million allocated for Governor Roy Cooper’s HOPE program — which has provided financial relief for renters unable to pay their rent or utility bills — will have run out after…

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Groups take legal action to support North Carolina denial of Southgate pipeline

MVP Southgate protest sign

CONTACT: Ridge Graham, Appalachian Voices, (828) 994-7444, ridge@appvoices.org Perrin de Jong, Center for Biological Diversity, (828) 595-1862, perrin@biologicaldiversity.org Doug Jackson, Sierra Club, (202) 495-3045, doug.jackson@sierraclub.org RICHMOND, Va.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Appalachian Voices and Sierra Club filed a motion Tuesday with the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the North Carolina Department…

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Energy cost hike would burden N.C. families

The Covid and economic crisis has laid bare the monthly struggle too many Americans have faced for a long time — whether to pay their electric bill or buy other essentials like food, medicine or school supplies and risk having their power shut off.

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One million N.C. households at risk of losing electricity and water during pandemic

CONTACT: Rory McIlmoil, Sr. Energy Analyst, Appalachian Voices, rory@appvoices.org, (423) 433-9415 Al Ripley, Director, Consumer, Housing and Energy Project, NC Justice Center, al@ncjustice.org, (919) 274-8245 William Barber, III, Environmental Justice Committee Co-Chair, NC Poor People’s Campaign, william.barber.iii@gmail.com, (202) 567-6800 Maria Michalos, Eastern Regional Communications Manager, Natural Resources Defense Council, mmichalos@nrdc.org, (631) 848-1588 Raleigh, N.C. —…

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NC regulators deny environmental permit for fracked-gas Southgate pipeline

CONTACT: Ridge Graham, Appalachian Voices, (828) 994-7444, ridge@appvoices.org Perrin de Jong, Center for Biological Diversity, (828) 252-4646, perrin@biologicaldiversity.org Emily Sutton, Haw RiverKeeper, (573) 979-1038, emily@hawriver.org Today, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality denied the permit application for Southgate extension of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. The agency said “that work on the Southgate extension could…

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Legal action challenges Duke Energy’s buildout of unapproved gas-fired power units

Duke Energy's W.S. Lee Natural Gas Power Plant

CONTACT: Jim Warren, NC WARN, 919-416-5077, jim@ncwarn.org Jean Su, Center for Biological Diversity, 415-770-3187, jsu@biologicaldiversity.org Matt Wasson, Appalachian Voices, 828-252-1500, matt@appvoices.org Durham, N.C.— Climate-justice groups filed a legal petition with the North Carolina Utilities Commission today asserting that Duke Energy — one of the top polluting U.S. utilities — is violating state law by quietly…

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