Alex Milan Tracy for Underscore
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The dozens of independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan news organizations that make up the Rural News Network are developing the broadest news alliance reporting on rural America. These newsrooms are pursuing coverage that provides a more complete picture of what it means to live and work in these communities.
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LATEST NEWS FROM THE NETWORK
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Trump to axe power plant emission rules, a potential boon for Wyoming coal
June 11, 2025
Wyoming is the nation’s largest coal producer, and more than 90% of the commodity is shipped to coal-burning electric generating plants in the U.S.
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“You Need To Air Out Your Dirty Laundry”: An Anatomy of a TCEQ Public Hearing
May 30, 2025
A rainbow coalition of Texas Coastal Bend residents tried every tool in the regulatory process to stop the crude oil export industry. Did they ever have agency?
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“I Was Having a Good Time”: How Did a Small Town in South Texas Get Hit With Two Oil Spills?
May 26, 2025
A playing field tilted towards regional officials, Texas Republicans, and foreign energy companies did residents in.
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“All Hell Breaks Loose”: How Big Oil Ruined a Small Texas Town
May 24, 2025
Three export terminals that captured half of the U.S. crude oil export industry have formed around Ingleside on the Bay, turning the Texas Coastal Bend town into an unlikely fenceline community. A playing field tilted towards regional officials, Texas Republicans, and foreign energy companies did residents in.
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“Our Slice of Heaven That You’re Willing To Turn Into Hell for a Profit.”
May 24, 2025
Three export terminals that captured half of the U.S. crude oil export industry have formed around Ingleside on the Bay, turning the Texas Coastal Bend town into an unlikely fenceline community.
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Maine’s heat pump boom has been promising for rural workforce development. Can it last?
May 22, 2025
Maine has had success in adopting heat pumps across the state, and jobs have grown quickly — particularly in rural areas. But as the state approaches big deadlines for heat pump installation and bolstering its clean energy workforce, uncertainties lie ahead.
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Sonoma-Mendocino geothermal energy project could accelerate demand for clean energy workers
May 21, 2025
A plan to nearly double the amount of electricity drawn from naturally occurring heat deep below Mendocino and Sonoma counties could create thousands of new jobs in the region.
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Brighter future? Solar apprenticeships add renewable energy skills to local jobs
May 20, 2025
A regional partnership aims to train young people as they go, developing workforce skills in anticipation of increasing demand for renewable energy-focused jobs in the heart of coal country.
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Powering Rural Futures
May 19, 2025
Clean energy is creating new jobs in rural America, generating opportunities for people who install solar panels, build wind turbines, weatherize homes, and more. This series led by Canary Media explores how industry, state governments, and education systems are training this growing workforce.
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Renewable energy industry powers new job growth in SD
May 19, 2025
The South Dakota technical school system, which also includes campuses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, has developed a close working relationship with the energy industry to ensure students learn the right skills and employers can tap into a pipeline of well-trained workers.
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From EVs to HVAC, clean energy means jobs in Central Illinois
May 19, 2025
Decatur has been losing factory jobs for years. A clean energy workforce hub promises renewal — and provides training for students from disenfranchised communities.
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Has Maine learned how to make heat pumps lower electricity costs for all?
May 14, 2025
Heat pump adoption in the state has soared. Now a new state energy-efficiency plan aims to accelerate the trend to cut emissions and control power prices.
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Behind the Plants: Living in the Shadow of Industry on Cancer Alley
April 17, 2025
Between Baton Rouge and New Orleans lies a 150-mile stretch along the Mississippi River known as Cancer Alley. This region hosts over 150 petrochemical facilities and oil refineries—the highest concentration of such industries in the Western Hemisphere.
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Massachusetts home-electrification pilot could offer a national model
April 07, 2025
Installations are wrapping up this month for the turnkey program providing solar, heat pumps, and batteries to households that couldn’t otherwise afford them.
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In the wake of disasters, rural health could end up running on sunshine
April 02, 2025
Solar microgrids and other modern technologies could transform care delivery in disaster-prone, underserved areas.
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