Solar advocates score victory for schools, localities in APCO territory

solar panels in Wise County, Va.

CONTACT: Chelsea Barnes, Legislative Director, chelsea@appvoices.org, 276-207-9636 Norton, VA – Local government officials and Appalachian Power Co. announced today that schools and localities in the utility’s territory will be permitted to use net metering and solar financing programs consistent with the state law under new contracts to be signed this month. This is a significant…

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New Virginia law sets up stakeholder process to diversify coal region’s economy

CONTACT: Chelsea Barnes, Legislative Director, chelsea@appvoices.org, 614-205-6424 Governor Northam has signed into law a bill, passed by the General Assembly during the 2021 session, that ends decades-old tax credits for the coal industry and establishes a stakeholder process to inform economic development and transition in Southwest Virginia. The governor signed the bill on Thursday. Ending…

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Major grant awarded for Appalachian Voices’ jobs, economic project in Southwest Virginia

The GO Virginia State Board has approved a Per Capita application for the Appalachian Voices “Energy Storage and Electrification Manufacturing Jobs” project. Approved at $486,366, the project will create jobs in GO Virginia Region One in the energy storage and electrification manufacturing field while attracting investments and expanding the local tax base. CONTACT: Kalen Hunter,…

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Bills to ensure coal communities are part of America’s economic recovery introduced in Congress

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 Covid-19 crisis, Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) and Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) introduced two bills in…

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