By Nan Chase Four years after completion, the rustic bungalow near downtown Asheville, N.C., is a local landmark. Covered in big overlapping shingles of tree bark — rather than the usual wood, brick or stone — it looks odd, a…
Blog Archives
Wright Bros, Georgia DOT Fined $1.5 Million for Clean Water Violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice will require Wright Brothers Construction Co. and the Georgia Department of Transportation to pay $1.5 million in fines for violations of the Clean Water Act between 2004 and 2007.…
Efficiency a Win-Win for the Mountains and the Economy
It can seem like a very long way from the ridges, hollows, and creeks of our part of Appalachians to the austere headquarters of the State Corporation Commission ( or SCC) in Richmond. The SCC regulates electric utilities in Virginia,…
Duke Energy Raises Rates in NC
On Jan. 27, the North Carolina Utilities Commission approved a 7.2 percent rate increase for North Carolina ratepayers. The North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper and a coalition of state public-interest groups filed legal briefs detailing their opposition to the…
U.S. Renewable Energy Production Surpasses Nuclear in 2011
For the first time since the late 90s, energy produced by renewable sources (biomass, hydroelectric, wind, geothermal and solar) has surpassed the amount of energy produced by nuclear plants in the U.S., according to the most recent Monthly Energy Review…
Our Bright Energy Future — Are We There Yet?
In Bonneville, Wash., some residents using wind power are facing an unusual problem: Too much energy. Now the Bonneville Power Administration is asking customers to volunteer their appliances to help balance supply and demand. A story in the New York…
Duke Energy’s Tough Times, Rate Hike Hearings Continue in Marion
On Tuesday Oct. 25, at the McDowell County courthouse in Marion, the N.C. Utilities Commission heard a succession of voices all proclaiming the same message: Do not approve the 17 percent rate hike proposed by Duke Energy Carolinas. Public hearings…
Making Your Home More Sustainable
Stories by Meg Holden, Molly Moore, David Pferdekamper and Jillian Randel In sustainable building and remodeling, terms like “conservation” and “efficiency” are thrown around a lot. But how does the difference between efficiency and conservation affect the sustainability of your…
TAGS: Appalachian State University Bosch Coalfield Community Action composting toilets Energy Efficiency Energy Star green appliances home improvement and remodeling Joseph Jenkins mobile homes National Community Action Foundation North Carolina Wind Energy reuse solar showers sustainable building tax credits and incentives The Humanure Handbook Transition Initiatives WAMY Community Action Network Warren Wilson College weatherization
Energizing the Clean Economy
Political speeches, the nightly news and newspaper headlines are filled with reminders of the battered economy and the millions unemployed or underpaid. But as energy efficiency and renewable technologies advance, more domestic jobs are created that foster a sustainable economy,…
TAGS: Alderson American Reinvestment and Recovery Act Appalachian Regional Commission Berkeley Springs Christiansburg community college community energy planning Community Housing Partners CREATES Downstream Strategies Dublin Eastern Kentucky University energy costs Energy Efficiency Energy Efficient Enterprises Great Recession green building green economy Green Energy Tax Credit green jobs training green subsidies JOBS Project Kentucky Solar Partnership Mountain Association for Community Economic Development Mountain View Builders Mountain View Solar & Wind New River Community College Power Savers Renewable Energy Roanoke Solar Energy tax credits and incentives U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Labor Virginia Tech Virginia Western Community College WAMY Community Action weatherization Williamson wind energy Wythesville Community College
Dirty Politics: The Biggest Threat to America’s Waterways
It Took a Movement to Create the Clean Water Act- We Need Another to Save It Update: The House passed the polluter-friendly TRAIN Act, H.R. 2041 by a vote of 249 to 169. At this moment, the U.S. House is…
TAGS: Clean Water Act Coal Congress Economy Electric Utilities Energy Efficiency Health Politics Water Pollution
