Coal’s Cost On Energy Prices, Inside Appalachia

Coal power can be expensive. Utilities run coal-fired power plants harder in the winter and summer when demand is high. 

Also, two films made in West Virginia shot to the top of Netflix’s streaming charts. The state wants to encourage even more movies to be made in West Virginia by helping keep production costs down. 

And, an Eastern Kentucky pharmacist serves vegan food for the holidays.

You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

In This Episode:

• Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia
• Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition
• High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry
• The Modern Mountain Cookbook
• Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio

Coal Drives Up Tension, Energy Rates Between Virginia And West Virginia

Lawmakers across the country are talking about affordability, especially when it comes to rising power bills. But states are taking different approaches to make that happen. Virginia is pushing for more renewable energy, while West Virginia lawmakers are trying to keep coal plants open.

Host Mason Adams teamed up with Radio IQ reporter Roxy Todd. They talked with economists, politicians and ratepayers to try to learn why tensions between the two Virginias may be driving up costs.  

Tennessee State Police Consider Implementing AI Facial Recognition

More states are using cameras to aid police and other law enforcement agencies. In Tennessee, state police are exploring the idea of pairing cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) facial recognition software. That’s according to public records obtained by the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom. But that technology also comes with privacy concerns.

Managing Editor Ryan Van Velzer spoke with reporters Pierce Gentry and Justin Hicks to learn more.

High Profile W.Va. Movies Highlight Growing Film Industry

It’s always exciting to recognize parts of Appalachia in movies. Today, more and more films and TV shows shot in Appalachia are turning up on streaming services. In March, two films shot in West Virginia made the Netflix Top Ten list for movies streamed in the U.S. And it’s not just the state’s geography that’s a draw for filmmakers. 

WVPB’s Maria Young has more.  

The Modern Mountain Cookbook

When you think of “Appalachian cooking,” what comes to mind? For a lot of folks, it’s savory comfort foods like biscuits with sausage gravy, crispy fried chicken and mashed potatoes loaded with butter. But, what about folks who want comfort food without involving animals? Jan Brandenburg is a pharmacist and poet in Eastern Kentucky. Over the last 30 years, she’s perfected recipes that take a plant-based approach to the Appalachian table.

Last spring, Bill Lynch spoke with Brandenburg about her new book The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia. 

Brain Tanning In Athens, Ohio

Tanning hides for clothes, blankets, shoes – for all kinds of things – goes back millennia. But over the years, some tanning techniques have become less common, like brain tanning.  

As it turns out, women in Appalachia are reclaiming the practice. In 2020, Clara Haizlett, a brain tanner herself, brought us this Folkways story. 

------

Our theme music is by Matt Jackfert. Other music this week was provided by Hello June, Dinosaur Burps, Blue Dot Sessions and John Inghram. 

Bill Lynch is our producer. Abby Neff is our associate producer. Our executive producer is Eric Douglas. Kelley Libby is our editor. Our audio mixer is Patrick Stephens. We had help this week from guest editor Andrea “River” Peterson and Folkways Editor Nicole Musgrave.

You can send us an email: InsideAppalachia@wvpublic.org.

You can find us on Instagram, Threads and on Facebook.

Sign-up for the Inside Appalachia Newsletter!

Inside Appalachia is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.