|
|||||||||||
|
Hi {contact.email_greeting}, As April comes to a close, there are quite a few events and opportunities to look forward to in May and June — including opportunities to wield your voice for change. The West Virginia Public Service Commission has scheduled four public hearings in early June for the NextEra Energy Transmission LLC MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) Project. NextEra is seeking PSC approval for its application for Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Related Relief. Meetings will be held in different parts of the state, giving residents around West Virginia the opportunity to be heard: June 4: Potomac State College Davis Conference Center, Keyser, 5:30 p.m.  Blackwater Falls is a 57-foot cascade of amber water tinted by the tannic acid of fallen hemlock and red spruce needles. MARL will cause rate hikes for West Virginia ratepayers. NextEra indicated in a March 4 filing that the 107.5-mile project will cost Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power customers an estimated rate increase of 0.01% to 0.07% from this year through 2031, according to reporting from Mike Tony of the Charleston Gazette-Mail. Residents interested in filing a formal complaint with the PSC can begin that process HERE. Coalitions around the state are fighting back against the explosion of data center development following the passage of HB 2014 last year. Tucker United is a grassroots organization in Tucker County reclaiming the power to “shape our future and protect our community, families, natural resources, and economy”. They’re fighting back against the proposed gas plant meant to fuel a new data center in the county. Although it can feel like a daunting fight, the group was heartened by the community they engaged with at the Take Back Tech conference in Atlanta, GA last week. You can read more about it in “We Are Not Alone: Building Civic Momentum With Tucker United”.  Cory Chase is a WV Program Associate with Solar United Neighbors. Read more about SUN in our Member Spotlight. This month’s Member Spotlight shines a light on Solar United Neighbors West Virginia! According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, solar accounted for more than half of all new electricity-generating capacity added to the US grid last year. In 2025, a new solar project was installed every 59 seconds! You can read more good solar news in SEIA’s Solar Market Insight Report, and then you can head to SUN WV to learn more about how you can go solar this year and talk to your loved ones about solar savings. The future of energy is bright with SUN WV. We’re still thinking about this year’s legislative session. If you missed our final Weekly Legislative Update, take a minute to read through the wins and losses from our lobby team before reading some reflections from our vice president, Morgan King. We played heavy defense this year, blocking as many bad bills and making as many improvements as possible. Data center development took up a lot of the spotlight. There are lots of events to look forward to in the coming months. In the more distant future, save the date for a fun Communities Over Computers shirt printing party at West Virginia Citizen Action Group’s headquarters on June 5 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bring an old shirt to use for a fun printing demo. Thanks to Oli Moran of the WVU Sierra Student Coalition for her super cool design! We’re also excited to announce that this year’s WVEC Annual Retreat will be held at the Blackwater Lodge in Davis, WV, on October 3. Stay tuned for more details on registration, lodging, and our agenda. Save the date! We hope you enjoy April’s edition of GREEN. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any future publications. In the meantime, consider joining an environmental group near you and donating to keep the fight going. Click an article title or thumbnail image to read the full article (text below is only an excerpt). |
|||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
