The campaign for offshore wind power in Virginia has launched into the fall season full-steam, and with a backdrop of beautiful weather and some highly contested elections in Hampton Roads, our volunteers got out there and made a big splash over the last few weeks!
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Huge environmental presence at Dominion's annual shareholder meeting
This morning, I was one of about a dozen environmental advocates to attend Dominion Resources Inc.’s annual shareholder meeting in Charlottesville, VA, while about 30 others rallied outside. Between shareholder proposals, comments and questions by shareholders and their proxies and the company’s own presentations, reducing the company’s impact on the environment was discussed at least as much as its financial performance. And the meeting left me hopeful that environmental advocates can work with Dominion to increase its investment in renewables, especially offshore wind power.
Just this Tuesday, we publicly launched our joint campaign with the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Green Jobs Alliance and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light asking Dominion to work with us to invest in offshore wind power. So today I spoke at the shareholder meeting in support of a proposal for the company to set and pursue a goal of 20% renewable energy generation by 2024. Specifically, I spoke about the fact that while offshore wind power does require a greater investment up front, it carries fewer long-term financial risks than investing in fossil fuel power plants. The risks of building new fossil fuel generation include:
- –volatile prices for coal and natural gas that are set by an increasingly global market
–the potential need for pollution control upgrades in order to comply with future environmental laws
–and the risk of accidental releases, like the catastrophic spill of coal-ash that Tennessee Valley Authority had in 2008, which could cost millions in clean up expenses, not to mention the public relations fall-out.
Dominion: It's Time for Virginia Offshore Wind
On Tuesday morning, CCAN’s Virginia team and members of the newly created VA4Wind coalition came together to formally announce our campaign to bring offshore wind energy to Virginia. Because Dominion Virginia Power is the commonwealth’s largest electric utility, the coalition is calling on the company to develop a large-scale offshore wind energy project off of Virginia’s coast. We hope to compel Dominion to include offshore wind in its September 2011 Integrated Resources Plan (IRP).
At the event, VA4Wind leaders touted the plentiful benefits of offshore wind energy and the opportunities it provides for the commonwealth, including the addition of thousands of new jobs and a new revenue source for Virginia’s economy, cleaner air and water, and stable long-term energy prices. With plentiful offshore winds, a deepwater port and a skilled and experienced labor force, Virginia could easily be the east coast capital for America’s new offshore wind industry.
In just a matter of weeks, VA4Wind has already collected more than 3,000 signatures from Virginians who want to see Dominion take concrete steps towards developing offshore wind power. In addition, more than 60 Virginia businesses and organizations have already pledged their support for offshore wind energy.
Sign the petition today, and if you own a business or non-profit, please add your business’ name to our platform sign-on letter here. Continue reading
Incentivize and they will retrofit!
On Monday, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced a second round of stimulus funding to Virginia residents for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. Some thirty hours later, the funds were all gone. This strikes me as pretty funny because during our fight at the General Assembly to pass a mandatory energy efficiency resource standard, Dominion VA Power and their supporters at the capital kept telling us that the utilities shouldn’t be held responsible for consumer behavior. Hmmm, seems to me that consumers not only understand the importance of upgrading old, money guzzling appliances but also want to make the necessary changes. I wonder what the excuse is going to be next year?
Wise County Plant Isn't Necessary: Richmond Times Dispatch LTE
This LTE was published in the Richmond Times Dispatch
Wise County Plant Isn’t Necessary
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Although the news article, “New Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant Pleases Both Sides,” quotes Dominion Virginia Power as claiming that the Wise County coal plant is vital to meeting Virginia’s future energy needs, the opposite is true.
An independent study found that Virginia can keep energy use flat over the next 15 years simply by investing in cost-effective and existing energy-efficiency technologies. We can avoid constructing any new generation facilities just by weatherizing homes, upgrading heating and cooling systems in office buildings, and updating lighting in factories. These same technologies would bring 10,000 new jobs to the commonwealth, while the costs associated with the coal plant would actually force the Virginia economy to contract by move than 1,400 jobs (a conservative estimate given pending climate legislation).
Dominion’s claim that its coal plant will help the economic wellbeing of Southwest Virginia also misses the mark. Our reliance on coal allows for the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, which is ravaging Southwest Virginia. Tops are ripped off mountains, streams are blocked by waste, and then the coal is transported out of the community, suffocating people with the toxic dust that blows off coal trucks.
The alternatives to coal are real. The new energy future broke ground in Virginia last month when construction began on our very first wind farm in Highland County. This project makes Virginia a leader in the region and marks the beginning of a bright future for the commonwealth. Virginia has incredible renewable energy potential — our offshore wind potential is the highest in the South. When coupled with efficiency improvements, it is clear that coal plants could be a thing of the past.
Lauren Glickman, Virginia Campaign Coordinator, Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
Court hands major defeat to Dominion's Wise Co. coal plant
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| Construction of Dominion’s Wise County coal plant. Photo by Debra McCown/Bristol Herald Courier |
(Richmond, VA) Continue reading
Guest Post: Boucher Disappoints
The following is an article written by CCAN supporter and Boucher constituent Theresa Burriss. The piece first appeared in the New River Voice.
After watching Congressman Rick Boucher gut the clean energy bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee, Theresa felt compelled to act. After reading an article a couple weeks later written by the heads of Dominion, Duke Energy and American Electric Power, Theresa wrote this important piece.
I recall, sometime during my parochial elementary education, learning about the structure of our federal government and the roles of each branch. Although I was impressed with the administration and judiciary, the legislature held more of an immediate, relevant meaning for me.
Legislators, supposedly, represented their constituents and their constituents’ concerns. They were elected by a direct vote in their district or state to act ethically, create and vote on new bills for the betterment of society, and ultimately serve their constituents. Although I was far too young to vote, I, and my peers, still counted as constituents according to Sister Maria.
Now that I’m well past the minimum voting age, I’m reminded of Sister Maria’s government lessons and the ideals associated with them, especially as I continue to read about my own congressman’s latest actions, which fall far short of those ideals. I’ll begin to enumerate my disappointments with Representative Rick Boucher (D, 9th District) by citing a recent op-ed printed in another media source. Continue reading
Dominion announces "Smart Grid" initiative for Charlottesville.
Dominion power aims to revolutionize the way it distributes electricity, beginning in Charlottesville, VA. On Tuesday morning, members of Albemarle County board of supervisors, the Charlottesville city council, Governor Tim Kaine and Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, met along the city’s pedestrian mall to announce Dominion’s new Smart Grid initiative. John Casteen, president of the University of Virginia, was also in attendance. With implementation expected to be completed in the next few months, Charlottesville and the surrounding area will be among the first in Virginia to use the technology on a large scale.
Smart Grid meters allow data to be sent in real time from residential and commercial locations to Dominion, allowing very fast monitoring of energy usage, peak hours, and overall efficiency. The system will assist in better calculating better levels of base-load power, in addition to allowing customers to monitor their personal usage and make changes based on on-and-off peak rates.
Dominion is strumming a fresh chord with this initiative. Formerly a company who treated the “e” word as if it were lethal, the Smart Grid will hopefully aid Dominion in coming to the realization that money can, and will be, made through more efficient distribution promoting conservation among its customers. In the past, utilities have generated profits through increased demand and production. Massive economies of scale wherein cost is reduced through sheer numbers helped to keep giants like Dominion afloat without the need for increases in efficiency standards. While the world rests in economic purgatory, businesses are forced to remodel the way things get done. We’ve all heard, “small is beautiful.” Well, efficiency is marked by small gains aimed at strategic cost-cutting that serve to save energy producers billions in lost energy due to outdated technology. “Everyone benefits from efficiency,” says Farrell. For the first time in a long time, Dominion may be correcting course from a prolonged history of avoiding improvements in their distribution network and dumping the costs on consumers.
Governor Kaine offered congratulatory words to the town and Farrell, citing gains made by state government through his Renew Virginia initiative as well as applauding the, “passion of locals,” embodying “characteristic humility and modesty.” Kaine, who has stifled on environmental policy throughout his tenure, called for Virginia to remain on the crest of the “tidal wave” that is changing energy priorities. The project, according to Kaine, opens the commonwealth to a “whole series of opportunities” for Virginia to become a real leader in energy tech as we move into the 21st century.
The $600 million project bodes well for Charlottesville, a town characterized by progressive attitudes toward energy and the environment. Hopes are that this initiative, with a total of 47,000 smart meters at its completion, will set an example for other communities and energy companies in the state.
Is this another case of Dominion greenwashing? Yes, and no. The Smart Grid program allows consumers and producers to better structure the way electricity is generated and used, leading to higher profit margins and less waste, ideally to be passed on to ratepayers. These improvements have the potential to be good for all of us. If Dominion learns from this experiment, efficiency will likely become a statewide priority. A corporation that blocked a proposed efficiency bill last year is now taking the lead on a new energy future for Virginia. Now if we could wean them off coal, we’d be going places. However, I’m not holding my breath. You haven’t earned our trust, yet.
Surprise! Dominion, AEP, Duke praise Boucher's work on climate bill
Earlier this week, 3 utility execs wrote an editorial in the Richmond Times Dispatch asking for further weakening of the Waxman/ Markey climate bill. We need to get the truth out! This bill has already been seriously compromised and we cannot allow it to be watered down any further.
DOMINION: “Boucher has worked tirelessly to listen to those most interested and affected by the legislation and has been a leader in finding common ground.”
FACT: In reality, Boucher has only listened to the coal industry representatives who contributed more than $176,000 to his last campaign. The result of Boucher’s work will accelerate global warming at the cost of consumers. There is nothing balanced about this bill. The work Boucher has done hurts working families while paying off energy executives.
DOMINION: “In particular, the proposed emission targets for 2020 are too aggressive and outpace expected technologies, and the time of transition to a full auction of allowances should be extended.”
FACT: The proposed emissions targets are already too weak to be a serious solution to curbing greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming. The current proposal is for 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% by 2050. To make any headway in fighting global warming pollution, these standards should be set at 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80-95% by 2050. The current proposal is a far cry from these numbers.
Polluters shouldn’t be given any free credits let alone more than the 85% that is already allotted to them. Giving away permits will result in windfall profits for the energy companies while ratepayers foot the bill.
DOMINION: “We employ thousands of workers and have plans to invest billions over the next five to 10 years on infrastructure to meet the energy demands of our more than 11 million customers.”
FACT: Utilities, especially these three in the southeast, are doing very little in the way of energy efficiency and renewables. Matter of fact, Dominion and Duke are both are planning to build new coal-fired power plants in Virginia and North Carolina respectively. Clearly when they say they are investing billions over the next 5 years to meet growing energy demands, they are continuing to look towards old, dirty fuel sources instead of using new, alternatives. They can do better.
Just when I thought things couldn't get worse in Virginia…
As the rest of the nation rejects coal plant after coal plant… Virginia is building one in SW and proposing another one three times the size in the Hampton Roads area.
As our neighbors in Maryland pass the strongest state legislation to regulate carbon emissions… Virginia’s own Rick Boucher is working to water down and nullify any impact a federal climate bill could have.
It’s a tough fight here in Virginia, and I will continue to fight every single day to promote sustainable energy policy for the commonwealth.
Amidst it all, I still remember things could be worse, we could be WEST VIRGINIA!
Our friends in West Virginia just declared coal the state rock.
Cross posted from our friends at Center for American Progress’s Blog:
Gov. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has made coal the official state rock of his state. According to the West Virgina Coal Association, the teen-aged daughter of a coal company employee “got the measure placed before the state legislature this year with the help of Sen. Truman Chafin (D-Mingo) and Del. Harry Keith White (D-Mingo).” On Wednesday, Manchin signed the resolution into law:
Bituminous coal is now West Virginia’s official state rock. Gov. Joe Manchin has signed a House of Delegates resolution making the designation based primarily on coal’s contribution to the state’s economy and history.
Despite $118 million in coal-mining annual income, West Virginia has the nation’s lowest median household income, worst educational services, worst social assistance, the highest population with disabilities, and nearly a quarter of West Virginia children in poverty.
Seems to me the best way to preserve the state rock is to keep it in the GROUND! Who’s with me?