The festival also featured performances by Molly Tuttle, Remi Wolf, Lukas Nelson, Blackberry Smoke, The Infamous Stringdusters, Andy Frasco and the UN, and more!
2025 IMPACT REPORT
OVERVIEW
This year, Healing Appalachia, featuring Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton, transformed a former coal mine in Boyd County, Kentucky into a celebration of music, recovery, and resilience. For the second year, the festival partnered with REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project to power the event with clean energy and highlight advanced energy job opportunities. It also took action to reduce waste and address Appalachia’s water crisis.
In partnership with REVERB, Overdrive Energy Solutions, TradesForce, Solar Holler, Hope in the Hills, and Zero Waste Event Productions, the festival is proving that healing the land and healing the people go hand in hand.
HIGHLIGHTS
- 92% REDUCTION IN TOTAL DIESEL USE
Across stages, campgrounds, vendor areas, and artist compounds - 29 METRIC TONS OF CO₂e AVOIDED
Equivalent to preventing the combustion of over 32,000 pounds of coal - 1,064 FAN ACTIONS THROUGH #RockNRefill AND TradesForce PROGRAMS
Fans signed up for advanced energy jobs and donated for recovery and clean water causes - $7,998 RAISED FOR HOPE IN THE HILLS AND THE NALGENE WATER FUND
From festival-branded Nalgene water bottles that also help reduce single use plastic
Music Decarbonization Project
FROM COAL MINE TO CLEAN POWER
The festival, REVERB, and Overdrive worked together in 2024 to decarbonize the main stage – cutting diesel use by 94% and greenhouse gas emissions by 99%.
In 2025, the festival worked once again with REVERB’s Music Decarbonization Project and Overdrive Energy Solutions to expand cleaner power across the entire site with 7.2 MWh of power running the two stages, vendor areas, artist and production compounds, and a RV campground, with:
- 6 temporary grid connections for production compound, artist compounds, camper hookups, and vendor battery charging
- High-efficiency batteries
- A 5 kWh solar array from local provider Solar Holler
- Only 2 diesel generators to recharge main stage battery systems
Fossil fuel use was reduced by 92% across the site avoiding 3,000 gallons of diesel. We also trained six festival volunteers on the festival power set up.
LOCAL ECONOMY
ADVANCED ENERGY JOBS
Healing Appalachia is also helping to provide workforce development opportunities.
- 273 patrons signed up for advanced energy job training.
- In partnership with TradesForce, attendees – ages 14 to 45 from Kentucky, Southern Ohio, and West Virginia – signed up for advanced energy job training. Another 1,000 volunteers received information about local solar and efficiency training opportunities.
- At the REVERB booth, Solar Holler, a West Virginia-based solar company, spoke with festivalgoers about installation and career opportunities. Revolt Energy, another local installer, also had a booth at the festival.
- Patrons were most interested in advanced energy because they want clean air and clean water. They also want solutions to help them with their extremely high electricity bills in the region.
WATER & WASTE
TACKLING APPALACHIA’S WATER CRISIS & FESTIVAL WASTE
Fans stayed hydrated and gave back through RockNRefill, an 11-year collaboration between REVERB and Nalgene Outdoor that cuts single-use plastic at the festival while raising funds for Hope in the Hills.
- $7,998 to support Hope in the Hills and the Nalgene Water Fund
- Fans were equipped to replace an estimated 2,361 single-use plastic bottles, helping reduce waste at and beyond the festival.
The festival also brought in Zero Waste Event Productions to lead a volunteer-based green team to advance reuse, recycling, and composting goals. They kept 14,568 pounds of waste out of the landfill by diverting cardboard, compost, cans, plastics, and glass through recycling and composting efforts.
“I was so impressed with how much the folks at Healing Appalachia really emphasized the cause. Recovery involves so much more than just breaking the cycle of addiction, and that reality was held front and center. It’s also job training, counseling, employment, and tons of other services. As a second chance employer with the shared mission of building stronger Appalachian communities, I can’t say enough about the amazing work that’s happening through this festival. Being part of it was inspiring.”
– Heather Ransom, Solar Holler
REVERB Action Village
REVERB On Site Coordinators
TradesForce Advanced Energy Job Sign Up
Healing Appalachia Hope Sign
Sunbelt Battery Powering Food Vendors
Volunteers Excited About Cleaner Power
Tip Your Hat to Cleaner Air, Water, and Power
Zero Waste Sorting Site
Healing Appalachia Nalgene 2025
THANK YOU
Healing Appalachia, specifically Dave Lavender, Charlie Hatcher, and Ian Thornton • Overdrive Energy Solutions, specifically Neel Vasavada, Sean Jacobs, and Richard Cadena • Nalgene • Solar Holler • TradesForce • Impact Media • REVERB Onsite Coordinators: Mia Michael and Sara Medows • All the volunteers and fans who took action with us!
