CCAN Applauds Step to Boost Va. Energy Efficiency Goals

Among states, Virginia ranks toward the bottom in efficiency; has 8th highest average electric bills

RICHMOND—Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced he is accelerating Virginia’s goal to reduce retail electricity consumption from 10 percent by 2022 to 10 percent by 2020, and establishing the Governor’s Executive Committee on Energy Efficiency to develop a state plan to ensure Virginia hits this new target.
Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“We applaud Governor McAuliffe for taking this win-win step forward for Virginia’s environment and economy. Increasing energy efficiency is our lowest-hanging fruit when it comes to reducing the carbon emissions fueling severe weather and sea-level rise. Currently, Virginia ranks toward the bottom of U.S. states in reducing energy use, which is a big reason our families pay the 8th-highest average electric bills. By investing in energy efficiency solutions, we will cut pollution while lowering the bills of low- to moderate-income homeowners and renters and putting people to work.”
Contact:
Dawone Robinson, 804-767-0372, dawone@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. We’re building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions.

Groups Appeal Federal Approval of Cove Point Fracked Gas Export Facility

Lawsuit charges that regulators illegally ignored the project’s impact on fracking, climate change, and the Chesapeake Bay

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Environmental groups sued the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today over its decision to approve a massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal along the Chesapeake Bay in southern Maryland without conducting a rigorous environmental review.
The lawsuit, filed in the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit, charges that FERC circumvented the law by failing to consider how Dominion Resources’ $3.8 billion Cove Point project would trigger expanded fracking for natural gas in the Marcellus shale region, leading to significant new amounts of air, water and climate-disrupting pollution. Additionally, the groups contend that FERC failed to adequately consider the impact of foreign ships dumping dirty wastewater into the Chesapeake Bay. Earthjustice filed the suit today on behalf of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Patuxent Riverkeeper, and Sierra Club.
“After months of delay, we will finally get our day in court to challenge the fundamentally flawed approval of Dominion’s climate- and community-wrecking project,” said Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Time and again, FERC has shown a blatant disregard for the health and safety of people and the climate and, we believe, the law. Tragically, FERC’s foot-dragging has allowed Dominion bulldozers to start construction before Calvert County residents had legal recourse to challenge the agency’s decision.”
For nearly seven months, FERC had delayed ruling on the groups’ request for a rehearing of its September 29 decision approving the project, even as the agency approved order after order allowing Dominion to begin construction. FERC finally rejected the groups’ rehearing motion on Monday, clearing the way for today’s legal challenge.
Dominion’s construction activities have already begun to irrevocably damage the landscape and quality of life in Calvert County, Maryland. Some local residents have put their homes up for sale and moved away rather than deal with mounting pollution, noise, and large trucks and construction vehicles inundating roadways, as well as the potential for catastrophic explosions and fires if the facility becomes fully operational.
“With this order, FERC yet again has failed to fulfill its duty under federal environmental law,” said Jocelyn D’Ambrosio, senior associate attorney at Earthjustice. “Exporting nearly 1 billion cubic feet of LNG per day means more gas drilling, which wreaks havoc on both the climate and the communities scarred by wells and pipelines. We are asking the federal court to ensure that FERC evaluates the many ways that the Cove Point project will degrade the environment.”
FERC has faced escalating protests and mounting legal challenges over the past year for facilitating a massive expansion of gas export infrastructure and pipelines at the expense of the public interest. Legal challenges are also pending over the agency’s approval of LNG export facilities in Sabine Pass and Cameron, Louisiana and in Freeport, Texas.
“Exporting LNG will lead to more drilling—and more drilling means more fracking, more air and water pollution, and more climate-fueled weather disasters like record fires, droughts, and superstorms,” said Nathan Matthews, Sierra Club staff attorney. “FERC consistently fails to take the full impact of fracking into account when it considers whether to green light LNG exports, and it did so again in the case of Cove Point. For the sake of public health and our fragile climate we have no alternative but to challenge FERC’s incomplete environmental review in federal court.”
“The Dominion expansion at Cove Point has been given a green light by parties at the county, state and federal level regardless of and with little regard for the likely environmental impacts,” said Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper. “The local environmental impacts have been dismissed even as the economic impacts have been largely distorted and inadequately explored. We now look to the courts to step in where our regulators have failed in order to safeguard our waterway and communities.”
The Dominion Cove Point project would take gas from wells across Appalachia and liquefy it along the shore of the Chesapeake Bay for export to Asia. The project would be the first LNG export facility ever built so close to so many homes and the first built in close proximity to Marcellus Shale fracking operations. According to federal data, exporting fracked gas could contribute more to global warming over the next two decades than burning coal mined in the Asian countries importing LNG.
The groups’ lawsuit centers on FERC’s unlawfully narrow Environmental Assessment. That review—challenged in over 150,000 citizen comments—omitted credible analysis of the project’s lifecycle global warming pollution, along with all the pollution associated with driving demand for upstream fracking and fracked gas infrastructure; its impact on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and risk to the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale; and potentially catastrophic explosion and fire threat to hundreds of nearby residents.
View the petition filed today in the federal appeals court for the D.C. Circuit (Case No. 15-1127) : http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cove-Point-Petition-for-Review-as-Filed-2015-05-07.pdf
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Keith Rushing, 202-797-5236, krushing@earthjustice.org

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Dominion Confronted by Protests Outside Annual Shareholder Meeting Over Company’s Dirty Energy and Dirty Politics

Protesters from Augusta Co. to Norfolk to Cove Point, Md. unite to challenge business practices wrecking communities and the climate

Glen Allen, Va.—Over 150 protesters from across Virginia and Maryland greeted Dominion Resources executives and board members arriving for the company’s annual shareholder meeting this morning, in a sign of the growing citizen backlash over the company’s dirty energy investments and dirty politics. (Click here to view photos.)
More than 50 landowners and concerned citizens from Buckingham, Nelson, and Augusta Counties—all in the path of the company’s controversial proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline—journeyed by bus. They were joined outside the entrance to Dominion’s training facility by citizens who had packed vans from Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, and other communities fighting the company’s climate-threatening plans and its anti-democratic lock on Virginia politicians.
Protesters charged that Dominion—the top corporate campaign donor and top climate polluter in Virginia—is using its vast political influence to stack the deck in favor of costly and risky investments in massive ‘fracked’ gas and nuclear projects, trample the property rights of landowners, and attack sensible solutions like the federal Clean Power Plan.
“Dominion and its shareholders need to know that we are here today because the plan to route the Atlantic Coast Pipeline through our home deeply violates so many of our personal and community values,” said Joanna Salidis, President of Friends of Nelson County. “Property owners want Dominion to respect that ‘No’ means ‘No.’ We want Dominion to uphold their claim that eminent domain is a method of last resort — not a gift from the government to maximize profit on the backs of unwilling private property owners and communities.”
To underline their point, protesters erected a “Dominion-opoly” board showcasing the sites of dirty energy projects currently proposed or under construction by the company. A 40-foot-long mock pipeline was inflated and carried by the crowd, while chants and colorful banners drew the attention of arriving attendees and passersby.
“Students from campuses across Virginia are heeding the warning of climate change and are now acting on what they have found to be the most urgent issue that we as humans have collectively faced,” said Rabib Hasan, President of the the Virginia Student Environmental Coalition. “Dominion’s plans to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and expand fossil fuel infrastructure show the company’s negligence towards this global challenge.”
Dominion Virginia Power’s most recent 15-year energy plan would increase planet-heating carbon emissions by more than 30 percent. In the recent state legislative session, Dominion came under fire for using its vast political influence to squash significant measures to address climate change and to ram through anti-consumer legislation.
“Dominion’s dirty energy choices and political dealings with ALEC are not in the best interest of the citizens of Virginia,” said Kendyl Crawford, Conservation Program Coordinator with Virginia Sierra Club. “Dominion needs to get serious about addressing climate change. According to its own projections, Dominion’s over reliance on natural gas will increase its climate changing carbon pollution 39% by 2028.”
“We’re frustrated by Dominion’s failure to take strong action on climate change,” said Charlie Spatz, Statewide Field Organizer with Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Dominion’s spending billions of dollars to expand ‘fracked’ gas infrastructure, yet when it comes to renewable energy the company has very little to show. In recent weeks, Dominion announced it would be indefinitely delaying its offshore wind project. That’s not the kind of leadership we need to get us on track to solve the climate crisis.”
“It’s important for people in Cove Point to stand with people in Richmond, Nelson County, Myersville and everywhere else Dominion is running roughshod over people’s lives,” said Donny Williams of the We Are Cove Point coalition. “Dominion is already more than six months behind schedule in constructing its mammoth LNG export terminal in Cove Point thanks to the people standing up for their communities to stop it. We’re here today to make it as clear as possible that we simply will not allow the company to continue putting profits before our well-being — risking many of our lives in the process.”
Organizations supporting the protest today include the Augusta County Alliance, Beyond Extreme Energy, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Chesapeake Earth First!, FANG (Fighting Against Natural Gas), Free Nelson, Friends of Buckingham County, Friends of Nelson County, Myersville Citizens for a Rural Community (Md.), Richmond Resistance, SEED (Stopping Extraction and Exports Destruction), Virginia Chapter Sierra Club, We Are Cove Point, and Wild Virginia.
CONTACT:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Climate Advocates Applaud Signing of Virginia Solar Bills, Call for Bolder Solutions

CHESTER, Va.—Governor Terry McAuliffe today signed into law several pieces of clean energy legislation passed by the 2015 General Assembly. The bills signed include legislation doubling the cap on the size of solar energy systems that Virginia businesses are allowed to install to offset their own energy usage (HB 1950/ SB 1395), and legislation creating a new Virginia Solar Development Authority (HB 2267/ SB 1099).
Clean energy advocates applauded both bills as positive steps forward, while noting they are only the beginning of what’s needed to catch Virginia up to its neighbors in developing clean power and the jobs that come with it.
Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“The fact that we’re celebrating Earth Day by witnessing several pieces of clean energy legislation get signed into law is proof of the growing movement in Virginia demanding solutions to climate change.
“Virginia currently has only 11 megawatts of solar installed, and that figure is embarrassingly low, especially compared to our neighbors. Virginia has as much or more solar potential than Maryland and North Carolina, yet those states have more than 200 megawatts and 950 megawatts of solar currently installed respectively thanks to much stronger state policies.
“Thanks to the leadership of key lawmakers—including Senators Dance and Stuart, and Delegates McClellan and Hugo, chief patrons of the bills signed into law today—we are beginning to take necessary steps to catch up with our neighbors in clean energy jobs and investments. We appreciate Governor McAuliffe’s signature on these bills and we look forward to passing even bolder clean energy solutions in the next legislative session.
“Hampton Roads is ground zero for climate change, as sea level rise driven by fossil fuel pollution gets progressively worse. As our citizens battle the climate crisis on a daily basis, Virginia must become a leader in advancing bold climate solutions, and an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach doesn’t cut it.”
Contact:
Dawone Robinson, 804-767-8983, dawone@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. We’re building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions.

CCAN Stands With UMW Students Forcibly Removed and Arrested During Peaceful Sit-In for Fossil Fuel Divestment

FREDERICKSBURG, Va.—A 21-day, peaceful student sit-in for fossil fuel divestment at the University of Mary Washington was forcibly ended Wednesday night after university officials called in the state police to evict the students. Over 20 students with the group Divest UMW were forcibly removed from an administrative office, and two students and one community member were arrested and charged with trespassing. Video of the arrests is available from a Free Lance-Star reporter who was on the scene: https://youtu.be/RZvdvqMim88
The Divest UMW sit-in began three weeks ago after the university’s Board of Visitors rejected—without any deliberation or discussion—students’ simple proposal to establish a subcommittee to study the issue of divesting their endowment from fossil fuels. Today, the university’s Board of Visitors will formally meet on campus for the first time since the student sit-in began, and students are holding a march and “Rally for Student Voice” in response starting at 3:00 p.m.
As reported by the Free Lance-Star, board members appeared divided on the issue during a meeting held on campus yesterday to discuss approval of minutes from the March meeting in which Rector Holly Cuellar dismissed the students’ proposal. Member Carlos del Toro reportedly said, “I, as one member of this board, think additional recommendations should be made considering divestment. I believe there needs to be further discussion. I believe I am not alone in this opinion.”
Drew Gallagher, Campus Organizer at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response to the forcible eviction and arrest of students:
“We’re disappointed that University of Mary Washington officials resorted to calling in the state police to end a 21-day, peaceful sit-in for fossil fuel divestment. These students have shown remarkable leadership in their fight to remove morally unacceptable investments in the fossil fuel industry from their university’s endowment. We need this same leadership from school officials and the Board of Visitors. Restricting free speech and assembly will not solve the climate crisis. We urge UMW officials to drop the charges against their students, and work with them for climate solutions.”
“Students from across the country understand the severity of the climate crisis, and are leading the way in demanding solutions. So far, over 20 colleges and universities across the country have stood with students and pledged to divest from the fossil fuel companies wrecking their future. University of Mary Washington administrators are facing growing protests because, like those at Harvard, Tulane, the University of Colorado, Yale, and Swarthmore, they have so far stood on the wrong side of history. By ignoring the voices of their students on fossil fuel divestment, University of Mary Washington officials are failing to heed the warnings of scientists—including those on their own campus.”
Contact:
Drew Gallagher, 804-896-2654, drew@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Maryland General Assembly Passes Fracking Moratorium Bill on to Governor Hogan

ANNAPOLIS—The Maryland House of Delegates voted 102-34 on Friday afternoon to give final approval to a bill (HB 449) that would prohibit fracking for natural gas in the state through October 1, 2017. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Larry Hogan.
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“Thousands of people from every corner of Maryland have called on their legislators to protect our state from dangerous fracking. Lawmakers have now followed the will of state voters by sending a fracking moratorium bill to the governor’s desk. The bill will guarantee that no gas company can drill into Maryland soil for at least two and a half years. It will give legislators important time to evaluate mounting evidence that fracking would pose unacceptable risks to our health, environment, and tourism economy.
“It’s now up to Governor Hogan to sign the moratorium bill into law, and it should be an easy choice. The General Assembly passed this bill with overwhelming, bipartisan support, and polling shows that a clear majority of Marylanders oppose fracking.
“Ultimately, the General Assembly’s landmark passage of fracking moratorium legislation is a testament to a strong and growing grassroots movement in Maryland. For five years, Marylanders have been fighting to protect our beautiful state from potentially irreversible harm at the hands of the gas industry. A fracking moratorium bill now sits on Governor Hogan’s desk. This much is certain: our movement will keep growing and not let up until Maryland communities are fully protected from the serious risks of fracking.”
Contact:
Shilpa Joshi, 503-998-8630, shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the biggest and oldest grassroots organization dedicated to fighting climate change in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. We’re building a powerful movement to shift our region away from climate-harming fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions.

Landowners, Environmental Advocates Deliver 5,000+ Messages Challenging Gov. McAuliffe Over Controversial Dominion Pipeline

Activists bring a 40-foot ‘pipeline’ to the governor’s offices in Richmond to dramatize the risks Dominion is forcing on Virginia communities

RICHMOND—Citizens in the path of Dominion Resources’ proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline joined with environmental advocates in Richmond today to deliver over 5,000 messages to Governor Terry McAuliffe demanding that he rescind his support for the massive fracked gas project. Activists brought their own 40-foot inflatable “pipeline” prop emblazoned with the words “No New Pipelines!” to the Patrick Henry Building for a noon press conference, and then hand-delivered the petitions.
View photos from the press conference, including the pipeline prop, at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chesapeakeclimate/sets/72157651811591031/
Speaking ahead of the delivery, landowners called on Gov. McAuliffe to stand with them in defending the safety, natural resources, and economic security of Virginia communities—instead of paving the way for Dominion’s private gain. Environmental advocates stressed further that the proposed pipeline flies in the face of the governor’s commitment to tackling climate change, given studies showing gas extracted through the controversial practice of fracking disrupts the climate on par with coal.
“Our homes, farms and rural lifestyle should not be taken from us against our will to build an ‘energy superhighway’ for Dominion,” said Joanna Salidis, president, Friends of Nelson County. “Our confidence that the regulatory process, or our government itself, will protect the public, has been severely eroded, especially as we see how Dominion controls energy policy in Virginia. The interdependence between our government, at every level, and the fossil fuel industry is seriously compromising our rights to safety, health, and due process.”
Today’s petition delivery follows the March launch of pipeline opponents’ “All Pain, No Gain” advertising and online campaign, which refutes Dominion’s claims about the project’s benefits.
“For the people in western Virginia, this proposed pipeline has no up side,” said Nancy Sorrells, co-chair of the Augusta County Alliance. “Our property rights are ignored, our precious water resources are threatened, our public safety is compromised, our environmental and historic resources ravaged, and our farm and properties devalued. In return we get nothing! Are the precious headwaters of the James and Shenandoah Rivers worth the gamble? For those who depend on clean drinking water in the Shenandoah Valley, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, the answer should be no.”
“Why would our Governor support a project that threatens Virginia residents with eminent domain, property seizures, a decline in property values, known risks to human health and a complete disruption to our quality of life in Buckingham County?,” said Heather Nolen, chair of Friends of Buckingham County, where Dominion has proposed siting a gas compressor station along the pipeline route. “Buckingham citizens continue to operate in a vacuum of information, even as our research shows compressor stations are heavily polluting. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has enabled Dominion’s campaign of silence and furthered a process that continues to overlook one of the most impacted communities along the pipeline route. Who will stand up for our interests?”
The Augusta County Alliance, Friends of Nelson and Friends of Buckingham partnered with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Sierra Club, Virginia Chapter, and Environmental Action to gather and deliver the petitions.
“Governor McAuliffe can’t be a leader on climate while supporting Dominion’s multi-billion dollar investments in dirty and dangerous fracked gas,” said Lauren Goldman, Virginia Campaign Coordinator at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “Largely thanks to Dominion, Virginia ranks near the bottom regionally for energy efficiency and solar power, while having some of the highest average electric bills. Why endanger our farms, homes and natural resources with new gas pipelines when we could see greater economic gains, more stable prices, and less pollution through efficiency measures, solar and wind power?”
“Significant environmental damage would occur as a result of construction of the pipeline in karst topography, over mountainous terrain and through sensitive environmental areas including the George Washington and Monongahela National Forests, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail,” said Kirk Bowers, Pipeline Organizer, Virginia Sierra Club. “The Sierra Club is submitting petitions to the Secretariat of Natural Resources expressing our request for consideration of the serious environmental consequences of constructing large diameter pipelines in Virginia.”
“Environmental Action stands with Virginia property owners and concerned citizens from the shipyards of Norfolk to the mountains of Blacksburg,” said Anthony Rogers-Wright, Policy and Organizing Director, Environmental Action. “This is not a liberal or a conservative issue, it’s a case of right and wrong for our people and the planet we all depend on. Dominion primarily wants to maximize its profit, while we in Virginia get stuck with the contaminated drinking water, leaking pipelines, and inevitable damage.”
BACKGROUND:
In September, Governor Terry McAuliffe stood with Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell to endorse the company’s proposal to build a $5 billion, 550-mile, 42-inch high pressure pipeline to carry fracked natural gas from West Virginia, across central Virginia, to North Carolina. The project is one of three proposed pipelines to carry fracked natural gas across the state. While Gov. McAuliffe recently asserted he’s in “constant communication” with Dominion, he has yet to meet directly with Virginians concerned about the potential harm the pipeline and associated compressor stations could cause to local property values, human health, agricultural, cultural and water resources, and public lands that sustain local economies.
Landowners, farmers, business owners, students, environmentalists and other concerned residents have mobilized a strong and growing grassroots resistance to oppose pipeline construction. Concerned residents packed recent scoping meetings held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. To counteract inflated claims about the project’s benefits, Friends of Nelson, the Augusta County Alliance, and Friends of Buckingham have also commissioned an independent impact study of the economic losses that the project could inflict.
CONTACT:
Nancy Sorrells, Augusta County Alliance, 540-292-4170, lotswife@comcast.net
Joanna Salidis, Friends of Nelson, 434-242-5859, josalidis@gmail.com
Monique Sullivan, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 202-440-4318, monique@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Montgomery County Council Says Exelon-Pepco Deal is Insufficient on Clean Energy and Efficiency

ROCKVILLE—Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response to the Montgomery County Council’s passage of a resolution this morning finding that a proposed county settlement on the Exelon-Pepco merger falls short of protecting the public interest:
“Today, the Montgomery County Council joined a growing list of opponents – including the Maryland Attorney General – in criticizing the major inadequacies of the proposed merger between energy companies Exelon and Pepco. The Council rightly pointed out, with leadership from Councilmember Roger Berliner, that Exelon has not offered the Montgomery County government and the rest of the state nearly enough clean energy to serve the ‘public interest.’ CCAN could not agree more.
“In an era of rapid climate change – with Antarctic ice vanishing and extreme weather affecting all Marylanders – the public interest can only be met if Exelon commits to becoming a national leader in wind and solar power development as well as energy efficiency. Instead, Exelon clearly intends to prop up its aging and unprofitable nuclear energy fleet by expanding its base of paying customers to include the entire Pepco service territory. This is not good for the economy, ratepayers, or the environment.
“We commend the Montgomery County Council for demanding that Exelon do more as part of this proposed merger. To its credit, Exelon has pledged to significantly increase service reliability in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Now the company must go further and make Maryland a reliable national leader in cleaning our air and developing climate-friendly wind and solar power on a large scale. We agree with the County Council that, without such a commitment, this merger is not in the public interest of the county or the state.”
The background text to the resolution passed today warns that the county settlement “does not adequately address the overarching issues that have led the State, the Office of People’s Counsel, the environmental community, and other public interest organizations to maintain that the merger is contrary to the public interest.”
The resolution states: “The Montgomery County Council urges the Maryland Public Service Commission to mitigate the serious risks to the public interest by insisting, at a minimum, on very strong, verifiable, and financially accountable commitments by Exelon (a) to holding down costs to ratepayers and (b) to national leadership in clean, renewable, distributed energy and energy efficiency, with a commitment to a renewable energy standard that is in line with top-performing states.”
View a copy of the full resolution text at: http://chesapeakeclimate.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Montgomery-County-Resolution-on-Pepco-Exelon-Settlement.pdf
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
Mike Tidwell, 240-460-5838, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Dominion Plan for New Gas-Fired Power Plant Would Worsen the Climate Crisis

RICHMOND—Dominion Resources, already the top emitter of planet-heating greenhouse gas pollution in Virginia, announced a proposal this morning to build a new 1,600-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Southside Virginia. If approved, the plant would be the largest gas-fired power plant in the state.
Kirsten Collings, deputy director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
“You can’t solve the climate crisis by investing in more fossil fuels. A growing body of evidence shows that fracked gas could be worse for the climate than coal over the next 20 years because of leaks of heat-trapping methane. Governor McAuliffe has his facts wrong in endorsing this project as ‘clean,’ just as he did when endorsing Dominion’s massive Atlantic Coast pipeline for fracked gas.
“The reality is that Virginia simply doesn’t need and can’t afford new investments in fossil fuels. Dominion could more than offset the need to build a new gas-burning power plant by investing in modest energy-saving technologies that would reduce demand along with Virginians’ utility bills. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Virginians pay the 7th highest average electric bills in the nation, and our state ranks near the bottom on energy efficiency. Dominion should be investing in the commonwealth’s vast clean energy resources, which would create jobs, lower bills and reduce emissions of climate-disrupting pollution.”
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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Gov. Hogan Criticized for Joining Cove Point Gas Export Project Ceremony

LUSBY—Governor Hogan spoke at 11:00 a.m. this morning at a groundbreaking ceremony for Virginia-based Dominion Resources’ massive — and massively polluting — fracked gas export facility located along the Chesapeake Bay in Calvert County.
Calvert County citizen and statewide environmental leaders had the following statements in response:
Tracey Eno, spokesperson for Calvert Citizens for a Healthy Community, said:
“The residents of Lusby are NOT celebrating Dominion’s ‘TOWN-breaking Ceremony’ today. It’s no surprise that this event was kept a secret until the last minute and is closed to the public ‘due to security concerns,’ according to Dominion PR spokesperson, Karl Neddenien. If Dominion is worried about security, they should think twice about building a dangerous liquefaction train next to the 20,483 residents of Lusby. We worry about security every day and the risk of vapor clouds and explosions of propane and LNG, with potential for grave catastrophe. The 2006 Maryland Department of Natural Resources study shows that 360 families are at risk of a flash fire right now.
“We look forward to meeting with Governor Hogan to tell him the truth. We can only assume he hasn’t studied the details of the project. We recommend he Google ‘Images Skikda Algeria 2004’ as a primer.”
Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, said:
“The Cove Point fracked gas export plant will harm the environment, bring unprecedented safety risks to local residents, and raise gas prices for all Marylanders. It is disappointing that Governor Hogan is standing today with a company, Virginia-based Dominion, that has repeatedly withheld critical safety information in disregard for the health and well-being of residents in harm’s way of its project.
“We encourage Governor Hogan to meet with the many Marylanders who oppose this project, including citizens in Calvert County, experts who warn about climate change, and landowners who could see new fracking wells, pipelines and other gas infrastructure invade their communities. In the future, we hope that Governor Hogan will commit to developing truly clean energy in our state like solar and wind power, instead of harmful fracked gas.”
Contact:
Mike Tidwell, 240-396-2022, mtidwell@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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