Energy Report
A digest of regional energy news
Gainesville Commission Votes to End Mountaintop Removal Coal Purchases
On Sept. 18, city commissioners in Gainesville, Fla., voted 5-2 for a policy that could end the local power plant’s purchases of Appalachian coal mined by mountaintop removal, and they unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the destructive practice. The move makes Gainesville the first city with a municipal utility to adopt such a policy.
Appalachian Power seeks solar “standby” charge
Virginia’s second-largest electric utility wants permission to levy a charge on residential customers who produce their own power but remain connected to the grid.
Black lung disease reaches near-record levels
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has released research on the “entirely preventable” resurgence of black lung among coal miners.
As Companies Warn of More Layoffs, Lawmakers Look to Employment Training Programs
Two Appalachian coal companies warned nearly 1,500 West Virginia employees that layoffs are likely this fall, underscoring the dire need for other job opportunities in central Appalachia.
Health Research Disregarded in Mountaintop Removal Mine Permitting
In both West Virginia and Kentucky this year, federal courts have ruled against groups that believe scientific research into the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining on health should be considered by the agencies in charge of issuing permits.
