Power to the People

By AV's Intern Team | April 16, 2013 |

By Molly Moore It’s no coincidence that the words “electricity” and “power” can be used interchangeably. Our society owes a huge debt to electricity — it’s often easier to recount the aspects of our lives that are connected to an outlet than not. But instead of controlling our energy use, we’ve let our addiction to…

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Duking It Out: CEO Retires, Rates Increase and other shorts

By Molly Moore | December 13, 2012 |

By Matt Grimley Under a proposed settlement with the N.C. Utilities Commission and the N.C. Public Staff, Duke Energy President and CEO Jim Rogers will retire from his positions at the end of 2013. The agreement, announced late November, would resolve all issues involved in the commission’s investigation of Duke’s $32 billion merger with Progress…

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A Finite Frontier: Facing the Future of Central Appalachian Coal

By Molly Moore | October 19, 2012 |

By Brian Sewell On Sept.18, Appalachian coal mining giant Alpha Natural Resources announced it would idle eight mines and lay off 400 employees in the first phase of a “strategic repositioning” plan designed to meet the evolving demands of a changing global coal market. According to Alpha, the plan aims to enhance the company’s position…

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The Coal Report

By AV's Intern Team | August 1, 2011 |

Cross-State Air Pollution Rule Will Save Lives By Meg Holden The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR), the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) newest regulations to limit air pollution from coal-fired power plants, will take into account the problem of air currents whisking pollutants far away from their original sources. “Pollution that crosses state lines places a…

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