Appalachian Voices

10/14/2026

Can you help us bring more rooftop solar to the Tennessee Valley? ⚡

When your solar panels produce more electricity than your home needs, that extra power goes back to the grid, where local power companies can use it to serve other customers. Right now, solar customers receive little compensation for the extra electricity they send to the grid, making it harder for homeowners to get the full value of their rooftop solar systems.

The Rooftop Solar Rate program could change this by making small-scale and rooftop solar more economical, offering a simple, predictable credit for excess energy customers send to the grid — using tools local power companies already have at their disposal. A few benefits:

☀️ Households get a better value for the energy they produce.
☀️ Simple and predictable — no confusing rate structures.
☀️ Solar becomes a more realistic option, not just a luxury.

Visit our website to learn more about the program, fill out an interest survey or use our outreach toolkit to start a conversation with your local power company today!

Rooftop Solar Rate Program Get a simple, fair price for the extra solar energy you generate! Solar customers across the Tennessee Valley who produce clean

10/10/2026

Retired coal miners, their families, and advocates visited the U.S. Capitol last week to urge members of Congress to increase black lung disability benefits. The group also called on lawmakers to push for stronger protections against the deadly silica dust that contributes to black lung disease.

Retired miners, their families and policy groups are lobbying Congress to uphold worker protections and pass legislation that updates black lung disability programs.

10/10/2026

Data centers are putting pressure on Virginia’s water supplies and air quality while driving up electric bills. Our leaders must do more to protect our communities and ensure that new data centers don’t lead to more fossil fuel use.

This October, Virginians across the commonwealth are saying “Enough is enough!” and marching for a moratorium on new data center development. State leaders must establish safeguards to protect our communities before approving any more data centers.

Join Virginians throughout the commonwealth to demand a pause on data center development in Virginia.

🗓️ Saturday, Oct. 10, at 12 p.m. in Alexandria, Virginia

🗓️ Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. in Wi******er, Virginia

🗓️ Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m. in Leesburg, Virginia

🗓️ Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m. in Culpeper, Virginia

🗓️ Monday, Oct. 19, at 12 p.m. in Danville, Virginia

🗓️ Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4 p.m. in Virginia Beach, Virginia

🗓️ Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 4:30 p.m. in Roanoke, Virginia

🗓️ Saturday, Oct. 24, at 11 a.m. in Richmond, Virginia

March for a Moratorium Saturday, Oct. 10, at 12 p.m.Alexandria, Virginia Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m.Wi******er, Virginia Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1 p.m.Leesburg, Virginia Sunday, Oct. 18, at 1 p.m.Culpeper, Virginia Monday, Oct. 19, at 12 p.m.Danville, Virginia Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4 p.m.Virginia Beac...

10/09/2026

The remnants of Hurricane Isaias could bring heavy rain, gusty winds and flooding to areas across Appalachia and the Southeast this weekend. Now is a good time to prepare.

✅ Sign up for local emergency alerts
✅ Keep phones charged, and batteries and emergency supplies ready
✅ Move important items to higher ground and secure loose items outdoors
✅ Make sure your gutters and drains are clear if you can
✅ Check on your neighbors to make sure they are prepared
✅ Know where to go if you need to evacuate
✅ Never walk or drive through floodwater. Turn Around, Don’t Drown!

Find more flood safety tips from FEMA: Ready.gov/floods

10/09/2026

On Monday, Oct. 12, our offices are closed for Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which honors the history and contributions of Indigenous peoples. Consider going to a celebration in your area, attending an educational event or supporting an Indigenous-led organization or business. Here are just a few of the many events in the region:

➡️ Oct. 10-11: 8th Annual Thunder in the Mountains Native American Powwow in Fayetteville, West Virginia: https://visitfayettevillewv.com/event/8th-annual-thunder-in-the-mountains-native-american-powwow/
➡️ Oct. 12: Indigenous Peoples' Day at Hanging Rock State Park in Danbury, North Carolina: https://events.dncr.nc.gov/event/indigenous-peoples-day
➡️ Oct. 12: Indigenous History Walk in Lexington, Kentucky: https://www.lexingtonky.gov/calendar/2026-10-12/indigenous-history-walk

10/09/2026

Duke Energy wants to build two massive methane gas plants, an “enhanced” liquefied natural gas facility, a pipeline and huge transmission lines along the Yadkin River in Davidson and Davie counties — largely to serve growing data center demand.

The proposed projects could cost billions, increase electric bills, pollute the air and consume millions of gallons of Yadkin River water.

Read the Q&A from Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to learn what Duke is proposing and what’s at stake for the Yadkin River and surrounding communities.

A Q&A About Duke Energy’s Gassy Plans for Davidson and Davie CountiesDuke Energy's proposed gas plants and ELNG in Davidson and Davie Counties, NC, if built, will devastate and forever change the last serene stretch of the Yadkin River, all to power data centers. This complex threatens to pollute ...

10/08/2026

Gov. Abigail Spanberger announced the 2026 Virginia Energy Plan last Thursday. The plan shows that relying more on affordable clean energy could save Virginians billions of dollars over the next 20 years while keeping the power supply reliable.

The governor’s plan looks at several possible energy futures, including more locally produced power like solar, requiring large energy users like data centers to participate in flexibility programs that shift their electricity use away from peak,
and a future where Virginia builds no new gas-fired power plants.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger released the commonwealth’s latest energy plan on Thursday, marking the first long-range blueprint of her term for how Virginia can meet its growing energy demands and achieve the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s decarbonization and energy goals. As she announced the plan in ...

10/08/2026

A new analysis finds that federal energy policy changes could cost U.S. households an average of $6,500 more for energy through 2040. In Virginia, families could pay nearly $9,000 more.

Rolling back clean energy investments and increasing dependence on fossil fuels like coal and methane gas will drive up electric bills. Families shouldn’t have to foot the bill for policies that benefit fossil fuel companies. We need affordable clean energy that lowers costs instead of locking households into more expensive fossil fuels.

Households in the contiguous United States will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since President Donald Trump returned to office, such as canceling new clean energy projects

10/07/2026

Want to get into foraging (or get better at it) but aren’t sure where to begin? We’ve got some tips from the Appalachian Voices team:

💚 Take detailed notes about plants and fungi that surround what is being foraged — Emma Kelly, New Economy Program Manager
💚 Help manage invasive species by eating them, or create fun drinks with them — Katie Mowry, Coal Impacts Field Coordinator
💚 Forage finds can also be used to make tea — Jared Ring, Community Forest Steward
💚 Avoid most plant identification apps and instead use regional Facebook groups for plant identification — Lou Murrey, North Carolina Resilience Field Coordinator
💚 Keep an eye on rules about foraging when on public land — Brianna Knisley, Director of Public Power Campaigns

✍️: Debra Murray for The Appalachian Voice

How foraging provides a sense of community in-person and online

10/06/2026

"Unless you live it, you don't really understand it fully. Each one of these little holes ... could be an opening. That just means there's a mine right beneath us." — Bobby Hughes, Executive Director, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation EPCAMR

Abandoned mines pose serious risks to communities across the country. These include threats to drinking water, as well as safety hazards from sinkholes and mine shafts.

Tonight, ABC News investigates! Watch the full segment on ABC News Live PRIME Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET, on Hulu at 8 p.m. and on Nightline at 12:30 a.m. ET.

An ABC News investigation finds that decaying infrastructure from abandoned underground mines is causing the collapse of streets, highways and family homes.