Action Needed: Help Stop the Wise County Coal Power Plant!

The Blacksburg Town Council last night passed a resolution opposing the proposed coal-fired power plant Dominion Virginia Power wants to build in Wise County. Councils in Alexandria, Charlottesville, and Arlington are expected to vote on similar resolutions in the next few days.

But time is running out for you to have your say in the matter. The Virginia State Corporation Commission's (SCC) public comment period expires tomorrow night (Dec. 14) on both the Wise County power plant proposal and Dominion's request to build a huge new transmission line through Virginia. Tell the SCC right now to say no to both!

You can comment on the Wise County plant through the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's website. CCAN provides talking points for you, however you're also welcome to lift from my letter to the SCC:

I'm writing today to comment on case number PUE-2007-00066. I strongly urge you to deny Dominion Virginia Power's request to build a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County on both economic and environmental grounds.

As a Dominion ratepayer, I don't want them investing $1.6 billion in coal at a time when Congress is considering carbon constraint legislation, including one bill sponsored by our very own Sen. John Warner, that would make it much more expensive to burn fossil fuels. If we're locked into coal, my bill is going to go up.

In addition, Virginia is last in the nation in spending on efficiency and conservation. If we were spending wisely, we'd be investing in improving our usage, not expanding our capacity. And when we do need new facilities, we must look to clean, renewable energy.

The environmental impacts of the proposed plant are nothing short of staggering. At a time when scientists say we need to cut global carbon dioxide emissions 80% by 2050 to avoid the worst effects of global warming, this plant would annually spew 5.4 million tons of new carbon dioxide emissions into the air. While Dominion is holding out hope for a future technological breakthrough on capturing and storing carbon, even then the cost of doing so may exceed $100 million each year.

The list of environmental impacts goes on and on. The plant would also emit more than 12,500 annually of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, the latter a cause of serious breathing problems for people with respiratory illnesses. The forest manager for North Carolina's Pisgah National Forest says the plant's 3,300 tons per year in sulfur dioxide emissions would violate the clean air act, which gives special protections to the adjacent 12,000-acre Linville Gorge Wilderness.

The proposed Wise County coal-fired power plant would be an economic and environmental disaster for the state of Virginia. I urge you to do everything in your power to block it.

As for the transmission line, you can submit comment quickly and easily through Virginia's Commitment. Please take the time right now to act on these critical issues!

Connecting the Dots on Dominion's Transmission Line Proposal

Have you been following the debate over Dominion Virginia Power's plan to build a 268-mile, $1.4 billion high-voltage transmission line through Virginia? It seems like there are very few people not employed by Dominion who think it's a good idea. At least, that's the impression that I got from this article.

You can't blame Dominion. In Virginia, Dominion's profits are based on how much energy it sells, so of course it wants more transmission lines to sell the most power produced at the lowest cost to Dominion (meaning coal). Some states are moving away from this model, rewarding utilities not based on how much power they sell but on how efficiently they meet the needs of customers. It's a concept known as decoupling.

I don't support the transmission line for several reasons. One is economic -- Dominion plans to pass all of the $1.4 billion cost to us. But more importantly, if we're going to cut our greenhouse gas emissions, we're not only going to need to cut our total power usage through energy efficiency, we need to look at ways to turn each building into a power generator through solar panels and individual wind power stations.

I'm less convinced by arguments that the transmission line will ruin views. If I'm going to make the case that wind farms are worth altering certain views, it would be hypocritical of me to turn around and accuse Dominion of view vandalism. And then there's the Daily Show's recent evisceration of Cape Wind opponents.

So what can you do about it? Got this alert from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Education Fund:

Dominion Power is asking Legislators to Support Another Environmentally Destructive Plan

Take Action! Tell Your Legislators: Don’t Endorse Dominion’s Plan

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Dominion Power is asking Legislators to Support Another Environmentally Destructive Plan

We have learned that Dominion Virginia Power and Allegheny Energy are actively soliciting support for a massive 500-kV transmission line that would cut through private land, park land, historic sites, historic districts, civil war battlefields, magnificent viewsheds and a high concentration of conservation easements. Dominion and Allegheny are asking Delegates, Senators and private citizens from all over the state to send letters to the State Corporation Commission in support of this ill-conceived proposal.

Tell Your Legislators: Don't Endorse Dominion's Plan

Ask your Legislators to respect the State Corporation Commission (SCC) process. This transmission line proposal is highly controversial and subject to an SCC proceeding (case # PUE-2007-00031) to determine whether or not it is necessary. So far, only Dominion and Allegheny's experts have been heard and evidentiary hearings do not begin until January of 2008. Please write your Legislator today and ask them not to take a position of support on the Dominion/Allegheny transmission line until both sides of the story have been heard.

There Are Better Ways to Guarantee Secure and Reliable Power

The environmental community has been unified in its opposition to this transmission line. Alternative solutions would better provide for the reliability and security of electricity supply without harming the residents, natural resources, history and scenic beauty of Virginia. For example, a recent study by Summit Blue Consulting stated that using pre-existing technologies and demand response methods, Virginia could easily reduce peak demand by 17% within the next ten years. Energy conservation and efficiency should be treated as the first resource to meet Virginia's energy needs and are a key component in reducing mercury, CO2 and other harmful emissions.

To find out more about the transmission line fight, visit our website.