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On a windy but otherwise nice Wednesday afternoon, the VA Sierra Club, in conjunction with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) and volunteers, met at the front of Dominion VA Power's headquarters in Richmond to protest its efforts to kill clean energy in VA.
After stipulating its reasons for protesting in front of Dominion's Richmond headquarters, the groups marched to the VA State Corporation Commission to deliver over 2,500 signed petitions that made clear the demand for clean energy in Virginia.
But for Virginians who want clean energy to make a considerable dent in VA energy landscape, the road to that goal won't be an easy one. Dominion has made it clear through its actions that it is willing to spend more money promoting its green intentions (i.e. marketing) than actually implementing clean sources of energy that Virginian's can use.
Dominion VA Power is not above the economic laws of supply and demand. The supply of clean energy technologies is readily available as well as the demand for these technologies in VA. If Dominion does not get on board with the demands of Virginians, Dominion will not only lose the good-faith of its customers (even more than it already has), it will eventually lose out on the opportunity to take advantage of the "green wave" that will soon overtake America's "energy portfolio."
With Gov. Bob McDonnell pounding away at "jobs, jobs, jobs," while focusing little on the jobs that would be created from the clean energy sector, it shouldn't be a surprise that a number of Virginians voiced their disapproval at McDonnell's second yearly energy conference.
The paltry steps McDonnell has taken to ensure the viability of clean energy sources in the near future belies his initial gubernatorial promises to increase Virginia's use of clean energy.
In the real world where most Virginians live, the issue isn't theoretical or based upon some preconceived belief in the inherent goodness of clean energy. Clean energy literally is a life-saver.
What's more, clean energy is also a money saver as well. This point has been lost by those in Virginia politics who see clean energy as some kind of scam or backdoor trick, as if behind the advocacy of clean energy there is some deeper and more pernicious objective.
The only objective those who believe in clean energy have is seeing Virginians lead healthier and happier lives. The harmful effects of nonrenewable sources of energy cannot be questioned nor the moral and economic imperatives of moving further away from these energy sources.
The choice is clear for anyone who chooses to open their eyes and see, clean energy is the future and for the future.
Whoever said that clean energy was free? It wasn't the energy companies, who decried the shift away from dirty sources of energy like oil, coal, and yes, natural gas. And in terms of the costs to Virginia's residents to finally earn their right to clean energy, the cost hasn't been free either.
That's why the Virginia Road to Clean Energy Tour is such a momentous event, an event that can finally push utilities like Dominion Virginia Power into a sustainable energy direction. Will the journey be easy? Probably not. But what good things in life come easy? Already, the fight to push Dominion in a sustainable energy direction has been met with foot-dragging and backdoor political maneuvering. So the effort to win a sustainable energy future in VA continues.
But the folks of Virginia won't waver because the implementation of clean energy is nonnegotiable. It can and will be done in Virginia, and soon. Virginians know what's at stake: less reliance on foreign sources of energy, cleaner air, truly productive and healthy jobs, and long term energy.
To the extent that companies like Dominion VA Power stand in the way of clean energy is the extent to which they are willing to stifle a better life for many generations of Virginians to come. Dominion has the resources, it has the fact sheets to certify the benefits of clean energy, and it has the backing of millions of Virginians. So what are you waiting for Dominion, it's time to push ahead with clean energy for the good of Virginia's future.
Areva recently announced that it was halting its construction of a planned nuclear manufacturing plant in Newport News. Areva arrived at the decision due to unfavorable market conditions and uncertainty over U.S energy policy.
In 2008, the plans for the 300,000 square-foot manufacturing plant were announced. During that period, the project was projected to create close to 550 jobs and result in a $363 million capital investment.
Officials with Areva are, however, still "fully committed" to the construction of the planned manufacturing plant.
As early as 2010 Areva claimed that it was slowing its timetable for the facility due to the slow-growing economy and a longer-than-expected process of federal approval for new nuclear power plants. Areva hopes to have the plan on-line by 2013.
What is Areva's loss is fortunately the rest of Virginia's gain.
For all of the talk about the "necessity" to diversify Virginia's energy portfolio with nuclear power, it's not quite clear why this gospel of nuclear power should be held sacrosanct.
More and more alarming reports are coming to the fore of the news media regarding the less-than unbiased nature of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the U.S.'s main nuclear regulatory watchdog agency.
This point alone should give Virginia pause in its bullheaded quest to grow nuclear power before some of the industry's "kinks" have been more fully worked out.
While the risk of a catastrophic event may be depreciably small according to so-called "experts," it's not a risk I am willing to take at this point in time.
Virginia should focus on renewable and clean sources of energy, not sources of energy that could endanger millions of lives in Virginia and cause billions of dollars in damages were something unforeseen and catastrophic to occur.
Yes, it's that time of the year again, time for Dominion Virginia Power to throw more costs on the backs of its electricity consumers.
Dominion recently filed a request with the State Corporation Commission asking Virginia regulators for three separate rate increases to assist Dominion in covering its fuel and transmission costs as well as paying for a new power plant near Front Royal.
In Virginia, companies are allowed to bill customers for the cost of fuel used in the generation of electricity in addition to the power it buys to "serve" its customers.
Of course, there is still one last request. Dominion is also asking regulators to approve a surcharge for the construction of the Warren County Power Station near Front Royal as well as modifications to assist in paying for replacing old equipment and installing new infrastructure.
The audacity of such requests is almost too ludicrous to be commented upon. Not only has Dominion rebuffed numerous efforts to swiftly shift to renewable sources of energy, it has clearly refused to even begin moving away from dirty sources of energy like coal in a truly meaningful way.
Despite the vast sums of money which will no doubt be spent on touting its "green" agenda, Dominion is still an electric company living in the past, beholden to nonrenewable and publicly unhealthy sources of energy such as coal and natural gas.
Dominion has to be held accountable, and it's up to each of us to do just that.
For more than a year, the environmental community has been asking Senator Jim Webb, "whose side are you on," when it comes to addressing carbon pollution. Time and again, he has forced us to ask this question as he has flirted with different efforts to strip EPA authority when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Here's the quick background:
In April 2007, the Supreme Court determined that greenhouse gases are air pollutants subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act. The Court authorized the EPA to determine whether emission of greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health. This process began under the Bush Administration, and was concluded under the Obama Administration when in the spring of 2009 EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that the science supported a link between increased greenhouse gas emissions and threats to public health as a result of the increased air pollution.
"The energy challenge is much worse than most people realize. The problem is already imposing a heavy burden on our nation-a burden that will become even more costly. The economic, national security, environmental and climate costs of our current energy system will condemn our children to a seriously constrained future unless America makes significant changes to current policies and trends."
Think those are the words of some Sierra Club activist? Nope, they come from a group of corporate leaders including the likes of Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, Norm Augustine, former chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, Jeff Immelt, chairman and CEO of GE, and Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox, among others.
These corporate heavyweights banded together to form the American Energy Innovation Council, for the purpose of throwing corporate weight behind the stalled effort to pass clean energy legislation through Congress. Their report and recommendations can be found at http://www.americanenergyinnov...
Their plan would create a national energy strategy board to develop a comprehensive energy plan for he country, and federal spending of $16 billion per year to fund clean energy innovation.
Without these measures, they warn, America faces threats to its international competitiveness, economic stability, national security, and natural environment.
Unfortunately, while the corporate bigwigs emphasize the need for long-term price or market signals to create a stable investment environment, they back away from the question of a carbon tax versus cap and trade or a renewable energy portfolio requirement. This makes it look like they have a very good plan for spending money, but none at all for paying for it. (Guys, we already have lots of those plans around.)
Over one hundred Virginia Clergy have united to send a message to Senators Webb and Warner that climate change is moral issue and their action is required. Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light's release on the letter's delivery:
RICHMOND, Va. -- As the US Senate prepares to take up climate and energy legislation, over 100 religious
leaders from across Virginia delivered letters to Senators Webb and Warner today, making a moral case for comprehensive
climate legislation that includes strong emission reductions, international adaptation assistance, and protections for low-income families.
The letters were delivered in person to senate staff during meetings in Richmond today by a representative group of signers. Numerous others are calling the Senators' DC offices to deliver their message. Transcending the intense lobbying from special interest groups, the faith community is calling on lawmakers to honor the values of caring both for our neighbors and for God's creation.
"As religious leaders from across the Commonwealth, we are writing to express our alarm at the state of environmental stewardship here in Virginia, and nationwide," the letter states. "For us as people of faith, this is an issue of basic fairness and justice; not only because we are called to care for Creation, but because of who will be harmed most by inaction: the poor and voiceless."
The clergy who joined this effort reflect tremendous religious and geographical diversity. They are speaking out from five religious traditions - Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Unitarian Universalism and seven denominations of Christianity -- and hail from all corners of the Commonwealth.
"Our senators might get the impression from recent headlines that the basic science of climate change remains controversial in our state," says Joseph R. Stanley III, the director of the Virginia Interfaith Center's Interfaith Power & Light program. "But the fact that more than 100 local leaders of sacred communities are acting together speaks volumes. For them, the facts are in. They see what's happening to our world. Climate change is real, and they feel called as people of faith to respond."
"When you ask the pastors, rabbis, and imams who joined this letter why they signed on, not one of them mentions politics. It's much bigger than politics," says Joelle Novey, the director of Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light, which works with congregations across Northern Virginia. "We are calling on Senators Webb and Warner to pass comprehensive climate legislation out of a sense of moral responsibility to care for our neighbors and for Creation. And we are asking that any legislation do right by the poor around the world, and close to home."
"I believe that we have a responsibility to care for, and not destroy, the miraculous world God created," says Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe in Falls Church.
"This world is God's creation, beloved and whole, and we are charged with its care," says Rev. Mollie Douglas Turner, an Episcopal priest in Williamsburg.
"As a faith leader, the scriptures instruct us that human beings have been placed on Earth to be the trustees and guardians of this planet and its people," says Imam Johari Abdul-Malik of Falls Church. We believe that in order for us to have a sustainable planet ... personal stewardship and community efforts are not enough. Systemic change regarding climate requires legislation in order to guide our corporate societal behavior."
"I signed onto this letter because all of creation praises God: the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the animals of the forest, the wind, the rain, even the trees," says Rev. Diane Walton Hendricks, a Presbyterian minister in Falls Church. As stewards of creation we must enable the voices of all creation to continue to be raised in their own unique songs of praise. We dare not allow our actions to silence the song."
"The Creation, all of it, not just our own little part, is meant to be lived in full community," says Rev. Mochel Morris, a Methodist minister in Falls Church. "We who are stewards must care for all of it, especially for the 'least of these' who have little or no voice -- people, creatures, plants -- all of it."
"Each of us bears a personal moral responsibility and imperative to be a positive contributor to sustaining life," says Rev. Kate Walker in Fairfax County. "My ordination compels me as a minister; I take on the responsibility to lead."
The letter effort was convened jointly by the Virginia and Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light programs, and was circulated initially by five clergy: Imam Johari Abdul-Malik (Muslim, Falls Church), Rev. Dr. Morris Hudgins (Unitarian Universalist, Charlottesville), Bishop Charlene Kammerer (United Methodist, Richmond), Rev. Dr. Janet Parker, (United Church of Christ, Arlington), and Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe (Jewish, Falls Church). The letter is signed by Rt. Rev. Holly Hollerith, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, and Rev. Dr. G. Wilson Gunn, Jr., General Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery (which includes Northern Virginia).
As of today 100 coal plants have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush. In their place, a smart mix of clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal has stepped up to meet America's energy needs. Last year 42 percent of all new power producing capacity came from wind, and for the first time the wind industry created more jobs than mining coal.
Coming just a week after Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced the city would end coal use by 2020, and announced the same day as a decision by Basin Electric Power in South Dakota to pull plans for a new coal-fired power plant, the Intermountain Power coal plant in Utah became the 100th prevented coal plant. The decision marks a significant milestone in the shift to clean energy.
For the past six years the Sierra Club and its allies have been running a hard-hitting campaign to expose the dirty truth about coal across the country. Tremendous grassroots pressure, rising costs, and upcoming federal carbon regulations all contributed to the demise of the 100 plants. In Virginia hundreds of volunteers turned out to public hearings, held rallies and met with officials to push for cleaner alternatives to new coal plants proposed by Dominion-Virginia Power and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative.
In Virginia, Sierra Club has teamed with the Wise Energy Coalition comprised of Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Appalachian Voices and the Southern Environmental Law Center to oppose new coal plants proposed by Dominion-Virginia Power and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative.
Dominion's plant in Wise County and the ODEC plant proposed for Surry County together would emit more than 20 million tons of global warming pollution every year, along with harmful levels of soot and smog pollution, which can worsen asthma and cause other respiratory illnesses, and mercury, a neurotoxin that poses developmental risks to fetuses and children.. In addition to harming our health, these new coal plants would pre-empt the development of clean renewable offshore wind power in Virginia that could secure our energy future.
"The community opposition to the Cypress Creek coal power plant is growing and with that so will the nationwide movement for clean energy" said Julie Verdaguer with the Keep Surry Clean Coalition. "We are ready for clean energy and jobs we can be proud of having and that's not coal!"
"In Wise County, our fight continues to stop Dominion's coal plant as well as the devastation of mountaintop removal coal mining that is destroying communities across Appalachia," said Kathy Selvage with Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards.
"Although Virginia lags behind much of the nation, the shift has clearly started toward a cleaner, healthier, more secure future," said Glen Besa, Virginia Director for the Sierra Club. "Basin Electric is the latest in a growing list of electric power cooperatives moving away from coal, and searching out better energy options. Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and Virginia Power should follow suit and start implementing efficiency and clean energy options like off shore wind instead of building new coal plants."
That movement has kept well over 400 million tons of harmful global warming pollution out of the air annually, making significant progress in the fight against global warming. Stopping 100 new coal plants has also kept thousands of tons of asthma causing soot and smog pollution, as well as toxins like mercury out of our air and water.
As the new coal rush ends in many states, the Sierra Club is working to replace existing dirty and unreliable coal plants, like the Wise County and Surry County plants, that are large contributors to health harming soot, smog and mercury pollution with cleaner energy options that create more jobs.
"The coal industry is still pushing forward with plans for dozens of new plants including two in Virginia and pouring money into slick advertising campaigns and lobbying efforts," said Besa. "So while the coal rush may be entering a new phase in some parts of the country, it is far from over."
(Great diary, Ivy! Yes we can! Virginia CAN meet that 25%! - promoted by Eileen)
Congress is considering legislation that would create a federal renewable energy standard of 25% by 2025. Far from imposing a burden on Virginia, this proposed mandate would help us take advantage of the enormous wind resources just off our coast. And developing these resources would bring jobs to Virginia, help stabilize our energy prices, make our air and water cleaner, support the development of other renewable energy technologies here in the Commonwealth, and relieve the pressure on our energy transmission grid.
Virginia has one of the best sites in the world for offshore wind. A shallow outer continental shelf extending many miles out, combined with ample Class 5 (excellent) and 6 (outstanding) wind resources, means we could potentially meet 100% of our total energy demand from offshore wind turbines. Other Atlantic coast states-Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, and Delaware--already have plans underway for offshore wind farms and expect to have power flowing in less than four years.
The Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), a consortium created by the General Assembly to study offshore wind and other renewable energy opportunities on our coast, has studied one area twelve miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. Just that single area, they concluded, could produce enough wind energy to meet 15-20% of the state's demand for electricity, using the same technology currently in use in Europe.
Better yet, VCERC estimates that the cost of electricity from a wind farm there would be competitive with the cost of electricity from the coal-fired plant that Dominion Virginia Power recently began building in Wise County. Wind turbines require a higher up-front cost for every watt produced, but when the price of coal is factored in over the life of the facility, energy from the wind farm is cheaper. (The "fuel" for a wind turbine is free, after all.)
Developing Virginia's offshore wind resources would bring other benefits to the Commonwealth. VCERC estimates it would bring thousands of permanent, high-paying jobs to the Hampton Roads area and elsewhere. Already one manufacturer has moved its base to Virginia Beach and plans to begin manufacturing wind turbines in anticipation of growing demand. (See Virginian-Pilot "Three companies to inject jobs, money into Beach economy".) Moreover, Virginia's deepwater port at Norfolk, and the shipbuilding industry there, positions the state to build the specialized ships needed for transportation, installation and maintenance of turbines all along the East Coast.
Development of wind energy off the Atlantic coast would also relieve pressure on the power grid and prevent the need for new transmission lines. Generating power at the coast, where much of the population lives, makes transmission easier, more efficient and cheaper. Developing offshore wind resources in Virginia and elsewhere on the East Coast means we would not need expensive and controversial new transmission lines (like the proposed PATH line through Northern Virginia) to bring wind energy-or coal energy--from the Great Plains and the Midwest.
Offshore wind is not our only renewable resource, of course. Other technologies are under intensive development and improving rapidly. Promising new technologies that would advance with the help of a Federal mandate include wave energy, biogas from algae, and second-generation bio-fuels from non-food crops, all of which could be produced here in the Commonwealth.
And then there is solar energy. Electricity from photovoltaic panels has not been price-competitive in Virginia in the past (in contrast to solar hot water, which is), but NREL projects it will achieve grid parity in the next six years. Solar is the perfect complement to wind; it produces power during the day when wind often drops off, and is most productive in the summer when winds are at their seasonal lows.
Finally, it almost goes without saying that a renewable energy mandate would be good for Virginia's environment. Renewable energy, combined with an aggressive approach to achieving greater energy efficiency, will help us meet our goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. But the benefits go much farther. Currently, several areas of the state are out of compliance with the Federal Clean Air Act, including a large portion of Northern Virginia, the Richmond area, and the Hampton Roads area. Moving away from heavily polluting fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy will improve our air quality, reduce the health care costs associated with air pollution, and reduce mercury contamination in our streams and rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.
A Federal mandate for renewable energy, far from imposing a burden on Virginia, would bring us cleaner air and water, new businesses, thousands of good jobs, and price-stable electricity. That's a mandate we can love.
No need to build new U.S. coal or nuclear plants -- FERC chairman
No new nuclear or coal plants may ever be needed in the United States, the chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said today.
"We may not need any, ever," Jon Wellinghoff told reporters at a U.S. Energy Association forum.
The FERC chairman's comments go beyond those of other Obama administration officials, who have strongly endorsed greater efficiency and renewables deployment but also say nuclear and fossil energies will continue playing a major role.
The House Energy & Commerce Committee today launched a marathon series of hearings on the clean energy jobs plan, the American Clean Energy & Security Act, currently being drafted by the Committee's Chairman, Representative Henry Waxman, and the Chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee, Representative Ed Markey. The hearings, which began today and continue through Friday, April 25, will feature more than 50 witnesses, including EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Vice President Al Gore, and numerous other leaders from the environmental community, business, organized labor, consumer groups, and faith and social justice organizations. This week's hearings mark the formal start to the legislative process in the House of Representatives and put the committee on track to achieve the Chairman's goal of reporting out a clean energy jobs bill by Memorial Day.
Click here for the complete schedule. Click here to join the Sierra Club as they live blog on the hearings.
Americans United for Change has targeted 12 states - including Virginia - with TV ads encouraging "Democrats and Republicans Alike to Stand Up to the Special Interests and Support the Most Transformational Investments in Health Care, Education, and Energy in Generations".
As the U.S. House and Senate Budget Committees begin key work this week on President Obama's fiscal year 2010 budget request to Congress, Americans United for Change launched the largest advertising blitz to date in support of the President's transformational blueprint for rebuilding and renewing America.
With a significant six-figure buy behind it, "Blueprint" is airing on national cable, a mix of cable and broadcast in the nation's Capitol and at persuasion levels on broadcast television in targeted media markets - including Richmond, Newport News, and Roanoke, VA -- represented by Democratic and Republican Members of Congress who will play a critical role in shaping the budget and the nation's priorities.
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As of today 100 coal plants have been defeated or abandoned since the beginning of the coal rush. In their place, a smart mix of clean energy solutions like energy efficiency, wind, solar and geothermal has stepped up to meet America's energy needs. Last year 42 percent of all new power producing capacity came from wind, and for the first time the wind industry created more jobs than mining coal.
Congress is considering legislation that would create a federal renewable energy standard of 25% by 2025. Far from imposing a burden on Virginia, this proposed mandate would help us take advantage of the enormous wind resources just off our coast. And developing these resources would bring jobs to Virginia, help stabilize our energy prices, make our air and water cleaner, support the development of other renewable energy technologies here in the Commonwealth, and relieve the pressure on our energy transmission grid.
From Sierra Club's Josh Dorner:
