[68vette]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Yes, we can that the idiotic Midwest energy policy for the being a bad neighbor to all the downwind states and for an almost complete reliance on coal (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, etc). Hopefully, coal will be phased out in favor of natural gas, renewables, and energy efficiency.

I think coal fired plants and factories may be with us for a while. Coal is much cheaper than gas and the new technology that's being introduced post combustion, has really cut down on harmful emissions.

[Dreamn]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

Yes, we can that the idiotic Midwest energy policy for the being a bad neighbor to all the downwind states and for an almost complete reliance on coal (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, etc). Hopefully, coal will be phased out in favor of natural gas, renewables, and energy efficiency.

Don't be so quick to blame the Midwest, I live near D.C and apparently you don't realize the number of big, nasty, coal plants that sit right outside of it.

And we've had it all: groundwater contamination from leaking fly ash ponds, emissions so far in excess of federal regulations that it would make your eyes water etc. etc.

Although this site is primarily for jobs, it's really good for locating the power plants in the various states and getting to see how many megawatts are getting generated and by what type of fuel.

Power Plant Location Database Power Plant Locations

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by 68vette

I think coal fired plants and factories may be with us for a while. Coal is much cheaper than gas and the new technology that's being introduced post combustion, has really cut down on harmful emissions.

From what I have read recently, they are shuttering many of the oldest and most polluting coal plants or switching them to natural gas, since prices are at 10 year lows.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by Dreamn

Don't be so quick to blame the Midwest, I live near D.C and apparently you don't realize the number of big, nasty, coal plants that sit right outside of it.

And we've had it all: groundwater contamination from leaking fly ash ponds, emissions so far in excess of federal regulations that it would make your eyes water etc. etc.

Although this site is primarily for jobs, it's really good for locating the power plants in the various states and getting to see how many megawatts are getting generated and by what type of fuel.

Power Plant Location Database Power Plant Locations

It would appear that Indiana is the biggest offender in terms of carbon emissions per capita as they are over 96-97% coal dependent based on the source of choice.

[looking4home]

Dreamn, you stated you lived in Eastern TN, and you didn't like it. May I ask why? Knoxville and that region of TN is a growth area, and a lot of Californians have migrated there. I know this is kind of OT for this thread, but you obivously are doing your homework, checking out various places before you put down roots, so I thought I'd pick your brain and find out what you didn't like about that area, besides the pollution.

[Dreamn]

Originally Posted by looking4home

Dreamn, you stated you lived in Eastern TN, and you didn't like it. May I ask why? Knoxville and that region of TN is a growth area, and a lot of Californians have migrated there. I know this is kind of OT for this thread, but you obivously are doing your homework, checking out various places before you put down roots, so I thought I'd pick your brain and find out what you didn't like about that area, besides the pollution.

Actually I stated "I visited Eastern TN" as well as a lot of other areas in the South this year. In fact I just left Bristol VA/TN Sunday morning.

For a lot of people I'm probably not a good person for brain picking. I'm retired. I don't need a job. Don't care about the school district. And growth areas turn me off. I think we've done too much unchecked growing.

If there's a specific area of interest you'd like me to answer about my visit to Chattanooga, Knoxville, or Bristol pose the question and I'll try to answer it.

I'll tell you upfront though that I thought Chattanooga was a dump. And I didn't feel safe there at all. In fact, no sooner than we parked at our hotel a panhandler came up and was trying to bum money off of us with some scam story about having a flat tire and needing money for a can of fix a flat to get his family back on the road. A few days later I saw him walking around in the downtown area.

Both Chattanooga (far worse) and Knoxville just struck me as decaying, former industrial cities.

[looking4home]

That's interesting, especially about Knoxville, because it is a popular place to relocate to at the moment. If you visit the TN forum you will see what I mean, but maybe you have done that. Actually, it might be that general area that is desirable, and they just give Knoxville as a reference point because it's the closest city. I always thought of TN as flat, muddy, prone to flooding, and in some areas, tornados. But I suppose every state has its beauty and the Smoky Mtns. are supposed to be very nice.

But enough about Tennessee, you want to talk about Vermont, right???

[Dreamn]

Originally Posted by looking4home

That's interesting, especially about Knoxville, because it is a popular place to relocate to at the moment. If you visit the TN forum you will see what I mean, but maybe you have done that. Actually, it might be that general area that is desirable, and they just give Knoxville as a reference point because it's the closest city. I always thought of TN as flat, muddy, prone to flooding, and in some areas, tornados. But I suppose every state has its beauty and the Smoky Mtns. are supposed to be very nice.

But enough about Tennessee, you want to talk about Vermont, right???

I recommend that you use forums to gather both general and specialized information about an area, but it's not a substitute for actually visiting and verifying the information. Your tolerances and view of the world don't necessarily equal mine. You can't let other people tell you what's right for you and at the end of the day you really don't know who's on the other end of the keyboard giving the advice. IE, there's a serious problem with real estate agents and the like hyping areas.

An example of a little jewel of information I picked up in here about the Plattsburg area was one poster commented that it was surrounded by like nine Upstate New York prisons. That thought hadn't occurred to me, it's a turn-off, and entirely plausible because I saw it all over the Florida Panhandle this year. It had to be one of their main sources of employment because virtually every county there had one. I guess they ship all the South Florida trash up North to employ them.

But you're right, every area has its own nuances and you have to dig into what they are. It's funny that you mention the TN tornadoes. Last week was the anniversary of several towns in the Bristol area getting flattened. The news down there did a week long special on it, showed the damage, and told how some folks were still at square one with blue tarp roofs because of no insurance.

I really didn't intend to get into any extended discussions on that area, but I thought it was worthwhile mentioning in my other post because while reading the Vermont forum archives I kept stumbling upon people claiming Southwest Virginia was a better version of Vermont without all the issues. Having been there, I don't believe it's true, but I intend to find out shortly.

[looking4home]

Originally Posted by Dreamn

I really didn't intend to get into any extended discussions on that area, but I thought it was worthwhile mentioning in my other post because while reading the Vermont forum archives I kept stumbling upon people claiming Southwest Virginia was a better version of Vermont without all the issues. Having been there, I don't believe it's true, but I intend to find out shortly.

That might have been me. I mentioned it because I've heard it said a few times, but not about SW VA. I was thinking more of the Charlottesville area or central VA. In fact, I have been duly warned about SW Virginia by a poster from the NY forum who was a teacher at VA Tech and hated the area. He thought it was actually ugly and didn't like all the deep valleys that cast shadows over everything, and the insipid weather that was neither one thing or the other. He was planning on moving to the northeast as soon as he could find a teaching position.

You have never visited Vermont? As has been discussed on this forum frequently, it is not really a popular destination for retirees. But maybe that's the attraction.

[Dreamn]

Originally Posted by looking4home

That might have been me. I mentioned it because I've heard it said a few times, but not about SW VA. I was thinking more of the Charlottesville area or central VA. In fact, I have been duly warned about SW Virginia by a poster from the NY forum who was a teacher at VA Tech and hated the area. He thought it was actually ugly and didn't like all the deep valleys that cast shadows over everything, and the insipid weather that was neither one thing or the other. He was planning on moving to the northeast as soon as he could find a teaching position.

You have never visited Vermont? As has been discussed on this forum frequently, it is not really a popular destination for retirees. But maybe that's the attraction.

No I haven't been to Vermont yet, but I did live for several years in the Watertown, NY area. I thought upstate NY was stunningly beautiful, but I don't have any intention of sticking around for the winters. I'm looking for a place to live from say April to Thanksgiving, and then heading South.

While you may not consider it as a popular destination for retirees it does have a large older population. And me and the wife are just that - older.

I'm curious to see the difference between Vermont and Upstate NY as I mentioned in the thread I started (which hasn't produced any helpful info).

And I actually prefer off the beaten path. I'm not a fan of resort areas. I'd much rather try to fit in and associate with the locals.

As I mentioned in that thread, Vermont is interesting but certainly doesn't appear to be tax friendly.

Taxes by State

So I have to figure out if the quality of life, environment, and such are worthy of the high taxes.