Join KFTC's delegation to a conference and day of action focused on transition and the future of Appalachia. The events aim to advance the dialogue about current energy extraction practices, with a specific focus on ending mountaintop removal coal mining, and advocate for a renewable energy future for Appalachia on a national stage

"We envision a vibrant weekend during which thousands will learn about the challenges Appalachia faces and ways to build a movement to end the destruction and plant the seeds of a sustainable and prosperous Appalachia," said the organizers of the events.

The conference, entitled Voices from the Mountains, will be held on September 25-26, 2010. Organizers of the Voices from the Mountain conference are planning a space for regional participants to grow and connect through strategy sessions, workshops, learning, and cultural events. Topics will include both exploration of the issues facing the region and ways to move forward.

The day following the conference, September 27th, many people from the Appalachian region will gather with conference attendees for a day of mobilization and rallying on Capitol Hill. 2000 people, including movement leaders from the region, celebrities such as Ashley Judd and Silas House, and many Appalachian residents are expected to gather.

Click here to sign up or learn more.

A group of well-known local community activists, writers, academics and business leaders have contributed to the issue. including Wendell Berry, Vernon Haltom, Stephen George, John Todd, Adam Lewis, Sarah Forbes and many more. An article titled A Cooperative Approach to Renewing East Kentucky was written by KFTC member Randy Wilson and staff person Sara Pennington. Erik Reece contributed an interview with Joe Childers, a founding member of KFTC and current chair of the Kentucky Mine Safety Review Commission.

The premise for the special issue, according to Solutions editors, is a recognition of Appalachia as a special place and one of the most biologically diverse and culturally rich regions on the planet. Central Appalachia has the potential to become a national model of the positive transition to a clean energy future.

This July/August special Appalachia issue of Solutions is now available on newsstands and by subscribing. A year's subscription (6 issues) is $29.99 but if you identify yourself as a KFTC member by using Coupon Code APP2010 you will receive a $5 discount. If you want your subscription to start with the current special issue, please email julie.thorpe@thesolutionsjournal.com and make this request. Most of the content will also be available online, but KFTC encourages support of this nonprofit venture with a subscription or a donation.

Solutions is an online forum and print publication devoted exclusively to showcasing bold and innovative ideas for solving the world's integrated economic, social, and environmental problems.

Rural communities in Kentucky will see an expansion in their access to broadband internet service, thanks to $246 million in grant dollars that the state was just awarded last week. The grants are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the federal stimulus package. These awards are a part of the federal government's long-term strategy to expand and improve internet throughout the country. (Visit http://www.broadband.gov/ to learn more about this.)

The recently awarded round of grants includes awards of more than $125 million in far west Kentucky, and more than $80 million in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. The eight funded projects outlined plans to build broadband infrastructure in unserved or underserved rural areas. The following is a list of the awards:

Leslie County Telephone Company - $6.1 million
Salem Telephone Company - $1.9 million
West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. - $123.8 million
Highland Telephone Cooperative, Inc. - $66 million
People's Rural Telephone Cooperative, Inc. - $25.5 million
Foothills Rural Telephone Cooperative Corporation, Inc. - $20.9 million
Windstream Corporation - $950,000
Mikrotec CATV LLC - $829,000

Kentucky had already received $75 million from this broadband infrastructure fund for projects in Grant, Owen, Morgan, Menifee, Wolfe and Elliott counties.

“Not only will this funding help create jobs, it will also help bring much-needed infrastructure to our rural communities, helping them to expand their services, attracting new businesses that will bring economic growth and jobs by providing affordable access to critical 21st Century technologies,” said Gov. Beshear.

Internet access will be key to factor in economic diversification in rural Kentucky, particularly in the eastern mountain communities. Broadband access facilitates small business-start ups and connects remote areas to larger market bases.

On a related note, KFTC allies at Appalshop are working on the issue of internet access and expansion with other groups. They want to ensure that the internet is affordable and accessible to all communities. The grassroots project, called Dial-Up Rocks, is based on these principles:

-Network Neutrality: Network neutrality (also net neutrality, Internet neutrality) is the principle of open and unfiltered access to the Internet, with no restrictions on content, sites, or platforms, the kinds of equipment that may be attached, or the modes of communication allowed.

-Universal Broadband: Universal broadband is a policy initiative to make affordable, high-speed broadband Internet affordable and accessible throughout the United States.

Free and unrestricted communication is a human right and that media is the intersection of power, social justice and all kinds of equity – gender, racial, and cultural. Media Justice is about taking control of our media environment – our airwaves, networks, and online spaces. To achieve this we must transform our relationship with media and how we want to define its structure and how our communities access media.

Dial-Up Rocks will be following the implementation of the broadband grants very closely.

Kentuckians who want to purchase energy-efficient appliances will soon be eligible for a financial rebate, thanks to funding made available through the federal stimulus act. Kentucky's $4 million rebate program will launch on Earth Day, April 22 and continue while funds last. Rebates will be administered on a first come, first serve basis.

The following rebates will be offered for the purchase of eligible Energy Star appliances:

Clothes washers:                                        $100

Dishwashers:                                              $50

Refrigerators:                                             $50

Freezers:                                                     $50

Room air conditioners:                               $40

Electric pump water heaters:                      $400

High efficiency gas storage water heaters: $50

High performance gas storage water heaters: $100

Gas tankless water heaters:                         $300

Solar water heaters (electric or gas backup): $400

Central air conditioners:                              $100

Air source heat pumps:                                $400

Geothermal heat pumps:                              $400

Gas furnaces:                                               $300

Gas boilers:                                                  $200

Eligible consumers are residents of Kentucky making purchases of replacement appliances from Kentucky retailers. This means that the consumer must be an individual with a Kentucky residence who is looking to get rid of an older appliance and replace it with a qualified ENERGY STAR appliance, and it must be purchased in Kentucky.   

Appliances with an ENERGY STAR label have met strict energy efficiency guidelines set jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These guidelines are designed to help consumers save money and to protect the environment.

Thirty-three percent of Kentucky's working families are low-income. It's Kentucky's own state policies that are holding families back, including our lack of a tax and budget structure that works for our people.

This, according to a new report released by The Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED).  The report, "Investing In Kentucky's Working Families: a path to shared prosperity in the commonwealth," addresses the obstacles facing working poor families and their solutions categorized in three main areas: 1) education and skills training for Kentucky adults; 2) economic development; and 3) income and work supports.

The report offers a staggeringly stark picture of how difficult our state policies make it for workers to lift themselves out of and away from poverty, as well as policy solutions that would free up more state dollars to help people access education and afford to work.

An excerpt from the introduction:

Our leaders often start by thinking about what the state can attract to Kentucky.  They rarely think about how closely our prosperity is linked to our direct investment of and support of the working families that make up our citizenry.  Removing the barriers that working families face, and tapping the potential they possess, is in fact a central strategy for our shared prosperity....Legislators must consider how their decisions affect the daily reality of low-income working families and the future prosperity of the Commonwealth.

And this:

These are difficult economic times in Kentucky, but they are not new.  The Commonwealth's longstanding economic weakness continues to hold the state and its citizens back.  Our leaders cannot wish away the struggles of low-income working families as they attempt to solve our state’s economic problems. Instead, policy-makers must understand that investing in low-income families is central to addressing Kentucky’s problems. With the power of that understanding, we can build a Commonwealth where prosperity is both shared and abundant.

The report details the challenges faced by low-income working families, like the percentage of income that goes to pay off energy costs, the inadequacy of support for child care, adult education, health, and housing--all impacted by our elected leaders' refusal to pass tax and revenue reforms. 

Here are some quick hits:

• Kentucky’s 105,000 poorest households spend an average of 55% of their household income on energy, including heating, cooling, and gasoline.  To put an even finer point on it, if your household makes $50,000 a year--and these households don't--could you imagine setting $25,000 aside for energy alone?
• Sixteen percent of Kentuckians between 18 and 64 lack a high school diploma or GED, more than half of our adults read at basic or below basic literacy levels.  Still, Kentucky's investments in adult education--even before the House budget proposal--are inadequate.  In 2006, Kentucky invested about $48 a year for every adult without a high school diploma or GED.  The national average is about $77.
  
• Kentucky is one of just 16 states that still collect income tax from some
  families living below the poverty line.  (Before 2005, a family of four earning just $5,500 had to pay income taxes.  In 2005, KFTC and allies worked to  move up that threshold, taking more than 200,000 low-income families off the income tax rolls.  There's still work to be done to make our structure fair for everyone.)
  
• In 2008, payday loan stores stripped an estimated $158 million in predatory
  fees from Kentucky’s working families. (For more info, including county data, visit the Kentucky Coalition for Responsible Lending.)
  

That's just a sampling of the information in the report.  MACED also describes policy recommendations for each of the focus areas, including a state Earned Income Tax Credit and revenue reforms, and policies to support workforce and economic development. 

Thanks to MACED, and enjoy!

As part of this year’s “I Love Mountains” day, more than 20 KFTC young people – all between the ages of 5 and 25 – met with five members of Governor Beshear’s staff.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss concerns about the harm that mountaintop removal coal mining creates as well as talk about creating a transition towards a clean and sustainable energy economy.  The KFTC meeting was entirely youth-planned and youth-led.

Six-year old Makayla Urias from Pike County shared what it is like living next to a mountaintop removal operation.  She talked about her polluted water, being scared from the large blasting noises, and having to cover her face when going outside because of the dust pollution.  She even brought some of her dirty water to share with the Governor’s office. 

The young KFTC members presented scientific information about the pollution and destruction created by mountaintop removal coal mining.  They also presented information about the economic benefits and jobs that could be created in Eastern Kentucky and the rest of the state if Kentucky chose to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives.

The group used a large board to list the questions they asked the administration with a space to mark answers they received as a “yes”, “no”, or “waffle.”  By the end of the meeting, the group received a commitment to meeting with Governor Beshear within a month.  The youth delegation is excited to begin preparing to meet with Governor Beshear.  They are even talking about having their next planning meeting over waffles! 

Below is a complete summary of their questions and responses received.

1.) Will Governor Beshear support S.B. 139 and H.B. 416, the Stream Saver Bill?
    Answer:  Waffle

2.) Will the Governor create and announce a plan to end mountaintop removal and valley fills coal mining?
    Answer:  No

3.) Will Governor Beshear support H.B. 408, the Clean-Energy bill?
   Answer:  ? (Will get back to us soon once they study the bill – stay tuned for their response.)

4.) Will the Governor begin working vigorously to create new, green jobs and a new clean energy economy in Kentucky, especially for coal-producing areas and workers?
    Answer:  Yes

5.) Will Governor Beshear meet with KFTC – within a month – to talk about mountaintop removal and Kentucky’s clean energy future?
    Answer:  Yes

Here is a 7-minute video summary of their meeting.  Click on the video to watch it.

KFTC youth-led "I Love Mountains" meeting with Governor Beshear from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth on Vimeo.

Here is a 2-minute video summary of just the discussion around renewable energy possibilities in Kentucky.

"Renewable is Doable" KFTC youth meeting with Beshear Administration from Kentuckians For The Commonwealth on Vimeo.

The following information is cross-posted with the Kentucky Sustainable Energy Alliance.

Rep. Harry Moberly (D-Madison County) has filed a bill in the Kentucky legislature that would launch a clean energy future for Kentucky. The legislation, HB 408, sets energy efficiency and renewable energy goals for Kentucky in order to grow high quality local jobs, help stabilize long-term energy prices, and promote good health. 

HB 408 requires Kentucky’s utilities to generate 12.5% of their retail sales from renewable sources by the year 2020, up from about 2% in 2007. The bill also asks utilities to develop energy efficiency programs to help customers reduce their electricity use by 10.25% over the next decade. Those targets are similar to goals already adopted in several nearby states, including Ohio and North Carolina. The bill builds on momentum created by the federal stimulus program by providing long-term support for comprehensive weatherization programs that help lower income households save money and energy. A provision called a feed-in tariff also expands incentives for renewable energy production without additional cost to the state budget.

“I’m excited about any policy that helps families save money and energy by becoming more energy efficient,” said Mary Love, a member of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth. “This bill provides incentives that can help everyday Kentuckians improve the energy efficiency of our homes. We’ll save money on our power bills, and help create good jobs in all areas of the state. Lowering our energy use also diminishes the need for expensive new power plants, and leads to cleaner air and water and more healthy living conditions for us all.”

For more information, visit www.kysea.org.

You can find links to watch the debate live here or you can listen to it live on WV Public Radio.

The Canary Project will also try to do some live streaming video interviews with members of the audience. You will be able to watch these interviews by clicking this Ustream link.

If you have suggested questions you would like asked please post them in the comment section for this blog post.

Downstream Strategies, an environmental consulting firm, recently released a report that urges Appalachian states to invest in developing their renewable energy infrastructure. According to an ABC News story the report:

predicts production in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee will fall nearly 50 percent within a decade and urges those states to adopt laws, low-interest loan programs and other measures to support the development of renewable energy sources.

The report goes on to say that this decline will be in part due to competition from cleaner burning natural gas but it also points to a dramatic decrease in easy to recover coal and increasing environmental controls.

Studies have shown that local ownership of renewable energy projects generates greater jobs and local revenues than corporate-owned projects. Therefore, support for local ownership of energy development will help to maximize the potential economic benefit of developing renewables.

Improvements and investment in energy efficiency can also generate new jobs and revenue, while saving businesses and residents money on energy consumption. Supporting measures include: energy efficiency resource standards, expanded demand response initiatives, building energy codes, low-income efficiency programs, and research and development support.

Finally, policy attention must be focused on developing workforce programs that will provide the skills and knowledge required for emerging and potential renewable energy industries, and should be coupled with energy-and investment-related policies aimed at spurring project development. 

According the the Energy Information Administration web site, power plants reduced their coal consumption by ten percent last year and the projections are for demand to continue to be low in 2010.

As Senator Byrd said late last year, "West Virginians can choose to anticipate change and adapt to it, or resist and be overrun by it. The time has arrived for the people of the Mountain State to think long and hard about which course they want to choose." (Byrd, 2009)

You can download the report here. And a link to the ABC News story about the release of the report is here.

From Renewable Energy World 
comes this interesting news:

On January 7, 2009, a key legislator in Indiana introduced a proposal to establish a comprehensive system of “feed-in tariffs,” designed to spur the rapid development of jobs and in-state renewable energy generation.

A feed-in tariff is a fancy name for a guaranteed rate that utility companies can be required to pay for approved types of in-state renewable energy generation. This approach has been used successfully in many places to encourage private investment in renewable energy facilities and systems. The costs are covered by a small charge on all utility customers bills.

Sustainable energy legislation, including a proposed feed-in tariff, is expected to be introduced in Kentucky during the 2010 legislative session. More information about the concept of feed-in tariffs is available in this white paper commissioned by the Kentucky Conservation Committee.

The legislation proposed in Indiana has a number of unique features. The bill would provide different rates for renewable energy projects that qualify for federal incentives and those that don’t – a provision that helps non-profits and individuals who can’t benefit from large income tax credits because their incomes aren’t large. It also contains a system of different rates for wind energy that is based on the quality of the wind resource in a particular area. This is intended to spread development of wind turbines across the state and avoid concentrations in only the windiest areas. There is also a special rate for small residential-scale wind turbines. The legislation establishes guaranteed rates for a range of wind, solar, hydro and biomass technologies, excluding biomass from forestry and coal-bed methane gas.