Short Wave How A New Deal Legacy Is Building Clean Energy In Rural North Carolina
Mar 22, 2021
Dan Charles, NPR's food and agriculture correspondent, explores how a rural electric cooperative in North Carolina is reviving New Deal principles to address modern energy needs. The conversation highlights historical inequalities in electricity access, recounting farmers' advocacy during the 1930s. Charles emphasizes the cooperative's role in providing clean, low-carbon technologies and fast Internet to underserved communities. He also shares an optimistic outlook on the future of clean energy initiatives in these rural areas, spotlighting their potential for sustainable development.
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Rural Electrification
- Alvin Morrison, a farmer in 1930s North Carolina, lacked electricity.
- He and his community, including wealthier farmers, collectively sought electricity access, rejecting a plan that didn't serve everyone.
Co-ops for Equitable Energy
- The solution from the 1930s, rural electric cooperatives, still exists.
- These co-ops are working to ensure equitable access to new energy technologies today.
Modern Co-op Efforts
- Roanoke Electric, a rural co-op in North Carolina, aims to provide low-carbon energy solutions.
- CEO Curtis Wynn challenges the idea that these technologies are exclusive to the wealthy.