On August 16, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service published a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on the environment by implementing the Rural Utilities Service’s soon-to-be-finalized Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program (EECLP). The EECLP is a…
Blog Archives
Energy Efficiency’s Role in Growing Rural Economies
Over the summer we watched closely and shared our take on the importance of energy programs in the 2013 Farm Bill. You may remember that the Senate ultimately passed a version that included budget cuts but was in line with…
Appalachian State University Competes in European Solar Decathlon
By Chelsey Fisher After winning “People’s Choice” in the 2011 U.S. Solar Decathlon, Appalachian State University has been chosen to take their ideas across the ocean. ASU — one of three universities chosen from the United States — will pair…
Interview with Tom Perriello
Tom Perriello, a lifelong resident of Ablemarle County, Va., is a steadfast supporter of environmental and poverty concerns. He used his background in law to prosecute warlords in West Africa, was named one of Time Magazine’s “40 under 40” in…
Oil and Gas Boom Straining America’s Energy Infrastructure
By Brian Sewell The United States is experiencing a natural gas boom largely due to advances in drilling and extraction technologies. And in recent years, some have celebrated the fuel as a bridge to a clean energy and carbon-free future.…
TAGS: Energy Efficiency energy infrastructure Energy Savings Help My House Natural Gas oil rural electric cooperatives
Tenn. Tuesday: Thanks to Senator Corker, Senator Alexander
Tennessee Senators Vote to Confirm Clean Air Expert Gina McCarthy to Lead Environmental Protection Agency Last week, the United States Senate came down with a strange case of self-loathing and took the rare — some would say extreme — step…
As the Barn Burns, the House Stays Cold on Energy Efficiency
There has been much ado about energy efficiency in Congress recently, but so far there’s nothing to show for it. On June 12, we wrote about the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), which could help millions of residential electricity customers…
Tenn Tuesday: Haslam Can’t Keep Hands off the Family Business. Alexander and Corker To Support Critical Energy-Efficiency Legislation? Squirrel!
Haslam Dragged Down by Coal Ties, TVA All Over the Place, Critical Energy Savings Votes in the U.S. Senate as early as this week. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam’s troubles continue to be front and center in the national media, with…
Needle in a Haystack: U.S. Senate Supports Lower Energy Costs for Rural America, will the House Follow Suit?
On June 11, the U.S. Senate passed a five-year Farm Bill that includes a small provision with significant potential for reducing energy costs for rural Americans. The Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP) — based on South Carolina’s successful “Help My…
Dominion Power is Living in the Moment — and We’re Paying the Price
On June 4, Dominion Virginia Power hosted Appalachian Voices, the Sierra Club, and the Southern Environmental Law Center at the second stakeholder meeting in an ongoing series designed to increase the information shared between the utility and environmental groups. The…
