Energy & Environment

St. Vincent’s Mission has been doing the work of feeding, clothing and sheltering the people of Floyd County, Kentucky, since 1968. Recently, the mission looked for help to reduce overhead costs in a county with a poverty rate of 27%, well above the state and national average. The mission installed an array of solar panels.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin reintroduced two bills Thursday to commit over $1 billion in federal funding for reclamation projects and economic development in coal communities.Manchin said the bills are critical investments for West Virginia towns that have suffered from the decline of the coal industry.

The Trump administration rolled back the regulations last year, a move that was so controversial even some oil companies opposed it. Methane is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Upshur and Berkeley counties are getting some new, cleaner school buses. The Upshur County Board of Education will be awarded $160,000 to receive eight new school buses, and Berkeley County Schools will see $20,000 to replace one bus.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has recognized West Virginia State University for the eighth consecutive year for its commitment to planting and caring for trees on its campus.

President Biden’s Energy Secretary, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, said in an interview with the Ohio Valley ReSource that the region could gain jobs as a result of action against climate change.

Pandemic lockdowns reduced air pollution in some places around the world but those changes weren’t as pronounced in Appalachia. Much of the air pollution from this region comes from industry and electric generation, as compared to driving.

UMWA Presiden Cecil Roberts is using the leverage he has — including a close relationship with his fellow West Virginian, Sen. Joe Manchin — in order to sway Biden’s policies to allow room for coal and win support for coal communities.

As the price of gas declines, why aren't West Virginians' natural gas bills going down? Turns out, it's due to surcharges, tacked on by industries, allowed by the West Virginia Legislature and pushed by the current PSC chairman--Charlotte Lane--when she was a lobbyist for the natural gas industry.

Up to half of workers in the water and wastewater industry are expected to retire in 10 years. This wave of retirements is expected to create a shortage, which could magnify the already difficult situation in many central Appalachian communities. One program could help bridge the gap.