AIRE educates about, advocates for, and develops community-owned renewable energy in Appalachia.

AIRE was formed to promote strong economies and healthy environments throughout Central and Southern Appalachia. We seek to reduce the region's dependence on mountain-top removal coal mining and other nonrenewable energy sources, and to create economically and environmentally sustainable livelihoods. We promote local and regional economic development based on renewable energy production--economies characterized by citizen control and community benefit. We work to educate policy makers, organize local communities, research appropriate technologies, and support community-scale energy projects.

The overriding challenge for our generation is to build a new economy--one that is powered largely by renewable sources of energy... We have the technology to build this new economy, an economy that will allow us to sustain economic progress. Can we build it fast enough to avoid a breakdown of social systems? - Lester Brown. Plan B 3.0