As the Appalachia region begins its transition away from coal, there is a tremendous opportunity to build an energy infrastructure that meets our current needs without exacting immeasurable costs to future generations.

TMI’s Appalachia Program is empowering local communities to make such a transition and take control of their energy destiny. By expanding access to renewable energy and encouraging energy efficiency, TMI is helping residents and businesses in the Appalachia region to mitigate rising energy costs, expand employment opportunities and protect natural resources.

Community solar projects are currently under development with TMI’s support in the towns of Morgantown and Alderson, West Virginia. These projects will  provide opportunities for community residents to participate in solar power generation by creating ownership structures that address cost and administrative barriers to solar energy. They will also help identify improvements to state and local-level regulations and build support for legislation enabling the continual growth of solar and other renewables in the region.   

In addition to solar energy projects, TMI offers outreach programs to help local residents and business owners save money through energy efficiency. These programs focus on simple and cost-effective energy efficiency measures. They are open to the public and feature an interactive format in which community members learn simple weatherization techniques, use of efficient lighting and ways to save energy with home appliances and electronics.