What could have prepared Dominion executives for the tremendous showing of customer outrage and dissatisfaction unleashed the week of October 1st! Without our dedicated climate warriors who participated and supported the Week of Action, Dominion would continue to quietly, and legally, get away with setting up a $76 million bonus for themselves while playing keep-away with Virginia’s clean energy future. Since the Week of Action, the clean air advocates and climate protectors of Virginia got control of the ball, and for a change Dominion representatives have had to respond to some hard questions from reporters.
The Stand Up to Dominion Week of Action was so successful because of the participation of clean energy supporters from all around Virginia, and it was especially uplifting to have everyone sharing their reasons for taking action.
No image makes that point better than our photo petition banner, which by the end of the week became a collage of the many faces of Virginians standing up for clean energy and against Dominion’s rip-off. The diversity of picket signs and posters were unified in calling out the $76 million rip-off and objections to Dominion’s continued reliance on climate-polluting fossil fuels. From Hampton Roads residents calling for Dominion to invest in clean energy to get a handle on the climate pollution that drives sea level rise to Valley residents protesting Dominion’s continued reliance on coal, to local Richmonders demanding wind and solar development for cleaner air and healthier communities, the big message was the same: Dominion, stop the rip-off and earn your bonus by building real renewables here.
Dominion remains powerfully influential in Virginia’s energy politics and policy, and the job we must do now is to show our legislators why they need to require Dominion to earn its bonus with Virginia-made clean energy. In the coming months, you can be part of the next phase of action when you take the opportunity to meet with your state delegate and state senator. You’ll tell them why they need to help strengthen Virginia’s renewable energy standard and what the benefits will be when wind turbines and solar installations pop up all around the commonwealth. Help spread the word and show decision makers how many of their constituents support clean energy by collecting petitions, or go a step further and put together a community meeting or house party to educate your neighbors about the issue ahead of the Virginia General Assembly session.
