VA4Wind kicked off this week in Richmond, a new wind energy campaign that will be encouraging the development of offshore wind in Virginia.
The organizers for VA4Wind include the Sierra Club and the Green Jobs Alliance.
The coastal waters off of Virginia are viewed by those who have researched the issue as a strong location to place offshore wind farms due to the strong and sustained winds.
Gov. Bob McDonnell made a campaign promise to include wind energy in his "energy portfolio." However, McDonnell's continuing strong emphasis on offshore oil and gas exploration should leave one dubious about his administrations sincerity regarding offshore wind energy.
While Dominion Virginia Power studies the option of an offshore electric transmission line to promote wind farm development, the political will from the McDonnell administration has been lackluster.
Anything besides a full-fledged effort at elevating offshore wind energy to the top of Virginia's energy agenda is not acceptable.
All of the benefits are present with wind energy: low longer-term costs, minimal human and environmental health risks, and sustainability. What more do you need?
Apparently the benefits are not clear enough for McDonnell, however. A lot of words have been tossed about regarding the future of offshore wind energy but the political actions have been sparse.
We need real leadership and real solutions to the urgent problem of energy security and fossil-fuel related global warming. Wind energy stands to be one major solution, but only if Virginia's political leaders maintain their course of sustainable energy solutions. |
