Climate & Energy Archive
Energy Incentives You Can Use Now
September 24, 2023
Does it seem too much to ask that doing “the right thing” shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg? By now all but the most stubborn political diehards acknowledge that the growing number of climate disasters are man-made, and that burning fossil fuels must be cut back sharply. The problem for most of us has been how to afford to make the changes in our lives that can meaningfully contribute to a more efficient and clean power grid.
Well it turns out that the Biden Administration and the Democrats in Congress thought of that. They created a set of programs that average Americans can use to affordably access energy-efficient programs — just as big business has been doing for years.
Just what are those programs? Read on to find out!
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Small-Scale Solar on Farms
July 9, 2023
Land is a major asset that many rural folks have that could help them grow and prosper — if given a chance. A small-scale solar installation on only a fraction of a farm operation can add a tidy new layer of profit, according to a report generated in neighboring Maryland. Whether a 900-acre corn-soybean operation, a mid-sized cattle grazing farm, or a 10-acre vegetable farm, using just 5-10% of the acreage for solar production can substantially improve profitability and economic resilience. It also reduces pressures to sell the land, because profits become more dependable. And it helps address the challenge of dealing with dramatic swings in weather and climate.
So, what is stopping this from happening in Virginia?
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Sink or Swim? Virginia’s Impending Climate-Migrant Crisis
June 27, 2023
Virginia’s Eastern Shore—a 70-mile peninsula home to a rural population of roughly 46,000—is poised to produce some of the Commonwealth’s first climate migrants. The narrow strip of land separating the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean is the longest remaining stretch of coastal wilderness on the east coast. For generations, our connection to the land and water has defined the region’s culture and economy. Propped up by agriculture, aquaculture, and tourism, the Eastern Shore’s economic health is heavily impacted by the elements.
With rising sea levels and increasingly disastrous storms threatening residents’ homes and livelihoods, we face a painful reality in the coming decade. Survival may depend on a large-scale relocation.
Smoke Signals? The message for rural communities from the ash in our skies
June 24, 2023
The smoke wafting down thousands of miles from the massive Canadian forest fires is but one of many recent reminders that the pace of climate change is accelerating. There are two messages in those smoke signals for rural Virginia communities. One is neither surprising nor terribly welcome: wake up folks, climate change effects are not going to spare us forever!
But there is another message that is both surprising and potentially welcome: mitigating the impact of climate events is not only possible but can be a job creator for rural communities—but only if we develop a strategy! In short, there are much better options for rural areas than just playing the ostrich with his head in the sand.
Here are five key takeaways for rural communities:
New “REAP” Opportunities for Rural Communities
(and “Over the Fence” Solar Jobs Interview with Sean Mullan)
February 12, 2023
Many of you already know about the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which for a number of years has provided a limited amount of money to help farms and small businesses in rural counties finance solar installations. It was a great idea, but funding was limited and the application process was cumbersome.
The Inflation Reduction Act, however, has dramatically improved REAP in two big ways: first, it has quadrupled funding for it and, second, it has raised the percentage of a project’s cost eligible for a direct grant to up to 40%. And remember: eligible applicants include not only farms but any small business in a county that is designated as rural by the USDA (this includes Rappahannock County, for example).
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“Over the Fence” Interview with Willie Shanks
February 16, 2022
Ever wonder where all your waste goes and whether all your efforts to separate out your trash is worth it? We thought it best to go to one of the experts, Willie Shanks (aka Moe Moe), who jokingly calls himself the “Manager of the Rappahannock Refuse and Recycling center”—and the star of the “Flatwood Chronicles”—to get the skivvy. You may also learn a thing or two about how COVID has changed our habits during this period, AND some of the more “interesting” finds that have been left at the dump in recent months.
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Time To Join Forces on Climate Disruption
January 14, 2022
Over 40 percent of Americans live in counties hit the hardest by climate disasters in 2021. Another big year and another big bill for the nation to pay for it all. Not only are these climate catastrophes—floods, fire, drought, hurricanes, tornadoes—killing people and destroying communities, but they are increasingly costly. Taxpayers have had to come up with dramatically more money to deal with all this disruption.
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The Future of Solar and EVs is..... RURAL! …..But only if our politicians do the right thing
December 11, 2022
Editor’s note: Solar and EVs could transform rural areas by making them energy-independent, but only if rural communities have the tools to make that happen. Otherwise, mega-corporations will scoop up all the profits of the coming energy revolution. To understand what could be done, let’s imagine a letter from a happy, and energy-independent, rural resident in 2030:
Welcome to Christmas Eve, 2030. I am driving my Chevy Silverado pickup home past my local gas station. The gas price there is $7, and diesel is even more! Yes, it seems oil prices are being driven up by yet another conflict somewhere in the world. But...that’s not my problem! I—like most of my neighbors—am driving an EV! Sky-high gas prices? Who cares?
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A Solar Future for Rural Communities?
December 15, 2021
Imagine a Virginia where every small farm or rural landowner had the opportunity to own just a few acres of solar panels. Not only would they no longer pay electricity bills, they would also receive regular revenue from solar generation. This would transform their incomes; yet do so with installations small enough to not harm the surrounding environment. In fact, studies have shown that small-scale solar production can be integrated very effectively into pasture or cropland.
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“Over the Fence” Interview with John Odenkirk
December 15, 2021
John Odenkirk was driving back home to Rappahannock from his office at the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources in Fredericksburg when we caught up with him. A thirty-year veteran at the department, John is an expert in fisheries management (see his research on the feared—and delicious—invasive species, the northern snakehead). Raised in Fairfax, he grew up fishing on the Thornton River with his father on weekends.
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“Over the Fence” with Jacob Gilley
The Role of Regenerative Farming in Rappahannock's Future
November 18, 2021
Recently we talked with Jacob Gilley, a Madison-based livestock producer, about the role of regenerative agriculture in Virginia’s rural future. Gilley is the Mid-Atlantic Sustainable Grazing Manager with the American Farmland Trust (farmland.org), a national organization dedicated to protecting farmland, promoting sound farming practices, and keeping farmers on the land.
What is regenerative agriculture? In a nutshell, it means adopting farming practices that improve soil and water quality, enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity, and make it easier to adapt to changing environmental conditions. All this while actually improving farm profitability by, for example, enabling nearly year-round grazing, thus reducing dependence on fertilizers and commercially-purchased hay.
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“Over the Fence” with Aaron Sutch
Solar for Rural Communities
August 15, 2021
Aaron Sutch is the program director at United Solar Neighbors of Virginia. In 2015, he helped a group of Rappahannock residents organize a solar coop that installed solar panels on over 40 homes in the county. New Rural Virginia reached out to Aaron to ask about the state of solar power in Virginia.
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“Over the Fence” with Farmer Bill Fletcher
Water Key To Protecting Rappahannock’s Future
July 20, 2021
By Tommy Bruce
A while back, I met with my friend, Bill Fletcher, to have a bite and pick up where we had left off so many years earlier. Listening to him talk about water as Rappahannock’s most precious asset, I was reminded that change happens when need and experienced-based insight converge. What follows is Bill’s thinking about what we can do next to protect what we all cherish about Rappahannock: