Appalachian Institute for Renewable Energy
Pioneering community-owned renewable energy
We’re about to launch a crowdfunding campaign for maybe the most important solar project ever. It won’t be the biggest by any stretch but there’s no doubt its impact will amplify the power of this special place. The Burton Street Community Peace Gardens has been a place for absorbing trauma and for healing for a
As has been a running thread in these coronavirus days here on AIRE’s blog, the novel virus for all its misery, grief, and social upheaval is exposing some myths. All one has to do is pay attention and use their critical lenses. Whether it’s food supply, medical treatment, or energy supply, there’s growing evidence that
Just as Planet of the Humans dropped on YouTube, Jeff Deal and I got an email from our friend and colleague Adam Thada. His tone and tenor was my introduction to the film and it foretold of his angst that has now, in the span of eight days, been repeated across progressive media: So…. I’m
The smash and grab continues under the cover of coronavirus economic relief. Our illustrious federal government is shooting heroin again. It’s disaster capitalism looting the public kitty in broad daylight and at bewildering speed. A couple headlines picked up in my daily feed from U.S. Energy News should make us very angry: The Trump administration
Just a few days ago I posted on this great solar theatre story. The installer, Green Alternatives, made quick work of the solar installation, just as they did on Phase 2 at The Center at Donaldson. Yes, go Hoosiers! We’re loving the little town of Plymouth, Indiana. A virtual ribbon cutting may be in the
I shared a short bit of serenity in the previous post on Earth Day. If ever we needed to calm our synapses, it’s now, in the turbulence of a pandemic and a certain (ir)response. So much is going on it almost seems like something else is breaking or being deliberately broken by the minute. That’s
I reported last fall about a local theatre restoration project that we’d connected with through our work at The Center at Donaldson (“Poor Handmaids”). We’ll the community is making good on its vision to include solar from the get go. There were giant holes in the roof when we were on top of it last
You’re probably seeing reports (e.g. here and here) of how the air around Los Angeles and other places is suddenly clean with the economy turned off now. I even had a dream last night that I could see a lake in the distance that I’d never seen from a mountaintop I’ve frequented many times. I
Here’s a partial screenshot of this important press release. Please go to Center for Biological Diversity to read the full release. This call to halt non-pay shut-offs is vital now from a big community equity perspective and for public health!
Solar projects are obviously valuable ecologically and financially, but they can also spread enthusiasm in a community. Last Monday we had the pleasure of meeting a group of folks who are doing just that in the beautiful little town of Plymouth, in northwestern Indiana. They’re well into the restoration of their historic “main street” (N.