Solar AND Coal in West Virginia?

BBC America reporters Marc Adams and Michael Maher recently visited Williamson, West Virginia to explore the rumors that one town in a stalwart coal state was embracing solar. What Adams and Maher discovered was a town taking a nuanced view that change is likely to come and preparing for a transition might be a good thing – even and especially for a coal town like Williamson. Among those interviewed, which you can read about here or watch the video version here, was Matt McKechnie of Mountain View Solar and Wind. McKechnie told Adams: “”Fossil fuel is a finite source. It will eventually run out. “That [the sun] won’t. At some point the transition will have to be made. Making it now is a good idea, especially in our state.” Edna Thompson and Mark Mitchell, owners of the Mountaineer Hotel, agree with McKechnie and are in the process of having a solar PV-panel system installed on the roof of the hotel. While they acknowledge the longer-term cost savings that prompted them to put in the solar system, Thompson acknowledged that not everyone in town would see it that way. They do not plan to draw significant attention to the solar system as a hotel asset, because “Sometimes you don’t talk about it because you think you’re gonna get a negative reaction ’cause you don’t want your friends to think negatively about you or your business. So it’s hard. It’s very hard.” Appalachian Transition Initiative partner Eric Mathis of the JOBS...

Energy Efficiency Program Design and Implementation Webinar: July 1...

From West Virginia GreenWorks: Energy Efficiency Program Design and Implementation Training (Webinar): July 1 THE REGULATORY ASSISTANCE PROJECT Register Now for July 1 Webinar (1-4 p.m. EDT) Energy Efficiency Program Design and Implementation Training The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP), with support from the Energy Foundation, is offering this training course at no charge to participants. The webinar is designed for advocates working to develop or improve the current processes used in their jurisdiction to design, develop and evaluate energy efficiency programs. Webinar Topic: Portfolio Development and Evaluation Planning Instructors: Mike Messenger, Itron and Steve Schiller, Schiller and Associates Date: Thursday, July 1 Start Time: 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Length: Approximately 3 hours The instructors will cover the following:   Range of approaches used to develop energy efficiency programs portfolios, and a brief discussion of the pros and cons of each; Best practices to ensure the perspectives of all key stakeholders are included in this development process; How the public policy goals adopted by regulatory bodies shape portfolio development; How evaluation, measurement and verification approaches can be designed and developed consistent with these goals to assess portfolio performance—e.g., with respect to net and gross energy demand savings and avoided emissions; “Critical” information templates that should be used to ensure that necessary information is collected in the evaluation phase to support the portfolio planning process.   How to Register: Please send your RSVP to Please feel free to forward this announcement and registration information to others in your organization....

Sen. Robert C. Byrd Dies: Appalachia’s Longest-Serving Representative...

Appalachia has lost one of its longest-serving representatives with the passing of Senator Robert C. Byrd. Reflections on his legacy and contributions to the State of West Virginia and the larger Appalachian region are contained in various articles throughout the media, as well as in the words of his fellow colleagues. Coverage of Senator Byrd’s death: West Virginia Blue The Charleston Gazette I Love Mountains The New York Times The Washington Post Robert Byrd dies: Reaction in Washington By Matt DeLong, Washington Post With news of the death of Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) early Monday, Byrd's friends and colleagues in Washington are paying their respects to the longest-serving member in the history of the Senate. Here is a sampling.. Byrd's fellow West Virginia Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller: It has been my greatest privilege to serve with Robert C. Byrd in the United States Senate. I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone. He leaves a void that simply can never be filled. But I am lifted by the knowledge of his deep and abiding faith in God, I have joy in the thought of him reunited with his dear Erma, and I am proud knowing that his moving life story and legacy of service and love for West Virginia will live on. Senator Byrd came from humble beginnings in the southern coalfields, was raised by hard-working West Virginians, and triumphantly rose to the heights of power in America....

$8 Million in Rural Coop Development Grants Announced

From the National Sustainable Agricultural Coalition: On Friday, June 25, USDA announced the availability of almost $8 million in competitive grant funds through the Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program (RCDG). The RCDG program is designed to improve the economic conditions in rural areas by funding the establishment or operation of Coop Development Centers that can help start up, expand or improve rural coops and mutually-owned businesses. This year USDA is specifically interested in projects that help create wealth in rural communities through strategies that stimulate economies and create jobs through: Local and regional food systems Renewable energy generation, energy conservation, and climate change adaptation/mitigation Broadband and other critical infrastructure Access to capital, or Innovative uses of natural resources USDA expects to award about 35, one-year grants with an average grant size of $225,000. Paper applications must be postmarked by August 9, 2010 and electronic applications must be received by August 9, 2010. Visit the Rural Development website for more information or contact your local Rural Development office. About Kristin TraczKristin Tracz served MACED’s Research and Policy team from 2009-2012 working on clean energy policy, energy efficiency programs and the Appalachian Transition Initiative. She joined MACED after finishing her Master of Environmental Management degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She now lives and works in Washington,...

Obama’s Appalachian Commission Looks for Direction | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural...

Obama’s Appalachian Commission Looks for Direction | Daily Yonder | Keep It Rural Our friends at the Daily Yonder’s Keep It Rural blog have written a great portrait of the history of the Appalachian Regional Commission, as well as a snapshot of what Obama’s current Chair hopes to accomplish during his tenure. Have a look and, as always, we’d love to hear your thoughts… About Kristin TraczKristin Tracz served MACED’s Research and Policy team from 2009-2012 working on clean energy policy, energy efficiency programs and the Appalachian Transition Initiative. She joined MACED after finishing her Master of Environmental Management degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. She now lives and works in Washington,...

Coal Conversation Continues Across Appalachia

Conversations about coal often turn to intense predictions about its fate – as an energy source, a job source, and a defining element of the Appalachian region. But to really understand where we, and coal, might be headed, comprehending the complicated role coal plays in the region’s economy, environment and social fabric currently is absolutely vital. Yesterday, the release of two information sources added to our collective understanding about coal. The first was the release of two reports in the series “Coal and Renewables in Central Appalachia” by Downstream Strategies and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. The two reports covered the impact of coal on the West Virginia and Tennessee state budgets respectively. Modeled on the same accounting methodology that the states use to assess economic benefits or contributions from the coal sector, this series seeks to provide a full-cost accounting of the impacts of coal (both positive and negative) on state budgets. Each report is premised with an explanation of the context in which it was written: The project is comprised of a series of research reports that will look not only at the impact of coal on state budgets, but will also investigate county-level impacts of the coal industry in Central Appalachia. In addition, this broader project will investigate the potential benefits that could result from renewable energy development and energy efficiency improvements within the region. The goal of these reports is to add to the public dialog so that policy makers at the...

KySEA Meeting a Big Success

The Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance held a meeting June 1 at the Lexington Public Library’s Northside Branch. The meeting was open not only for KySEA members but included other organizations interested in supporting clean energy in Kentucky. There was great turnout and lots of new faces at the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance June 1 meeting in Lexington. 40 people representing 28 different organizations, groups and businesses came together to learn about the Kentucky energy landscape, KySEA, each other and how to take the next steps of moving Kentucky to a clean energy future. The goals for the meeting were to: Continue to build relationships and understanding about our work – independently and collectively. Report and evaluate work on clean energy issues in the 2010 Gen. Assembly. Inform/educate ourselves about one or more topics related to clean energy. Review, improve and affirm a proposed action plan for remainder of 2010. Identify ways for each group to participate. People left the meeting both exhausted and energized, "It was like drinking from a fire hose," said Dick Watkins of Frankfort Climate Action Network, "But the groups and the day were great." First in the morning was a six-month recap of the need for state clean energy policy, Kentucky’s energy challenge, and KySEA’s history, principals and policy priorities. Following the “look-back” was a brief summary of energy policy and politics in the 2010 Legislative session and what KySEA’s goals and accomplishments were. The morning ended with a round-robin set of education sessions on:...

New Association Markets East Kentucky’s IT Expertise

A new eastern Kentucky business group is working to get companies and governments within the region to look close to home when they need technological help. The Silicon Hollow Association is a network of information technology and computing science firms based in eastern and south central Kentucky. The association’s Facebook page lists its goals as creating IT jobs, building web-based career capacity and fostering a more wired eastern Kentucky. Their slogan: Same talent. Better location. From the association’s website: Our members are entrepreneurs seeking to give back to the economy of eastern Kentucky by creating jobs in high-tech industry. By working as a team, the Silicon Hollow Association and its members can compete for IT and computer programming work against larger firms based in other countries at a price that is right for your bottom line. The Silicon Hollow Association is the first step toward smaller firms in rural America forming partnerships that combine background and expertise in areas such as project management, communication, training, computer programming, development testing and support skills. The network was formally announced during a daylong conference on June 21 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky. Jonathan Picklesimer, chairman and one of the founders of the Silicon Hollow Association, said in an interview with wymt.tv “The success of the economy in eastern Kentucky is in the hands of eastern Kentuckians. We can work together to make our region better.” Marketing Appalachia as a place where high-tech workers will want to live is...