World's First Comparison of Tim Kaine to Derek Jeter

With Tim Kaine taking a bold stand against the dirty, destructive Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, has my long history of questioning Kaine's motives come to the end of the road?

Back in the 2003 playoffs, I watched Derek Jeter take a head-first dive into the stands while making an incredible catch. On the spot, I pledged to never make fun of Jeter again. I've held to that (while rededicating myself to mocking his teammates like Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira).

I've been on Tim Kaine's case for years now, ever since he served as apologist-in-chief for Dominion Virginia Power's incredibly polluting, wildly expensive, unneeded Wise County coal-fired power plant. But doing the right thing on Keystone XL, especially when so many Democrats like fellow Virginia Sen. Mark Warner are bowing to polluter pressure, is just as clutch as Jeter's dive.

Have I been wrong about Kaine? Should I give him the benefit of the doubt going forward - or even the full Jeter treatment?

Democrats Can't Have It Both Ways on Keystone XL and Climate Action

Self-styled "centrist" Democrats like Senators Michael Bennet (Colorado), Bob Casey (Pennsylvania), Claire McCaskill (Missouri), and Tim Kaine and Mark Warner (Virginia) say they recognize climate reality and support action to cut carbon pollution.

But ... then they see polls that show the public is split on the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline ... and feel pressure from Very Serious People in Washington who won't say no to anything the oil, gas and coal industries want ... and think, maybe we can have both? Get credit for support this current & specific polluting pipeline AND burnish climate bona fides by hand-waving towards some future & not yet existent climate effort?

No. Climate action isn't just about the easy & popular things, like clean energy and energy efficiency. It's also about the hard things, like saying no to oil and coal barons who may spend lots of money to try to defeat you in your next re-election campaign. You can't claim to support climate action, but wilt like corn caught in a global warming-fueled drought every time big polluters come asking for a favor. 

Either you support climate action. Or you support Keystone XL and don't really care about things like climate-fueled extreme weather or protecting our natural resources for future generations. You can't have it both ways.

Virginia Consumers Fleeced by Peabody's Expensive, Dirty Coal Power

Some Virginia communities like Danville bought into Peabody Energy's promise of cheap coal-fired power - and now as the project's pricetag balloons to $5 billion they're paying for it big time:

Coal giant Peabody Energy promoted the controversial Prairie State Energy Campus to public officials in Virginia and seven other states as a cheap, long-term source of “clean coal” power.

But a new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) charges that the troubled coal-fired power plant and coal mine operation will end up costing cities and towns in Virginia up to 100 percent more for that power than what was promised.

The Prairie State Energy Campus is a 1,600-megawatt, coal-fired electrical power station and coal mine under construction near Marissa, Illinois, less than 50 miles from St. Louis. About 95 percent of the project is being financed by more than 200 local government units in eight states: Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri and West Virginia.

"Clean coal" was always a lie and its death sealed the coal industry's fate. But just as it was with tobacco, Virginia remains filled with apologists who know it's easier to say what people want to hear and cash industry checks than to speak the truth. And Democrats like Tim Kaine and Mark Warner are just as much a part of the problem as Republicans - they may vote the right way sometimes, but their pro-industry rhetoric supports the bipartisan smokescreen that hides the truth that cigarettes cause cancer coal-fired power plants are deadly, expensive, and outdated.

Who'll Be Virginia's Next U.S. Senator?

With Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) announcing he won't seek another term in 2012, Tim Kaine & Tom Perriello are at the top of the list of potential Democratic candidates.

While I'd certainly give Kaine my full support against an oil shill like George Allen, Kaine wasn't willing to stand up to coal special interests while he was Virginia's governor.

Perriello, on the other hand, was one of America's top fighters for clean energy & climate action while he served Virginia's 5th Congressional district, and wasn't afraid to tell his colleagues in the upper chamber to get moving.

I'd strongly encourage you to "like" Draft Perriello on Facebook.

Arlington Hosts White House Clean Energy Economy Forum

The Green Miles was at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington this morning for the White House Clean Energy Economy Forum. I was part of an Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment contingent invited to attend. W-L served an ideal host –- a gold-level LEED-certified green school in one of the most climate-conscious counties in the country.

The forum featured Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA), former Sen. John Warner (R-VA), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Deputy Agriculture Sec. Kathleen Merrigan, and Assistant Energy Sec. Cathy Zoi.

I live-blogged the forum over at DailyKos. Check it out!

What Recession? Dominion Wants Raises, Guaranteed Profits

"The sustainability of our economic development successes are dependent on having a reliable energy source," -- Delacey Skinner, Gov. Tim Kaine's communications director, talking about coal-fired power, March 31, 2008

I think of that quote every time I hear about how our continued dependence on coal-fired power is hurting consumers and businesses and leaving Virginians in the dark.

The only thing dependable these days about coal-fired power is that it keeps getting more expensive. And the only thing reliable is Dominion's guaranteed profits:

RICHMOND, March 31 -- Dominion Virginia Power is seeking to raise electricity rates 6.9 percent during the next 14 months to pay for equipment, salaries, plant construction and conservation projects. [...]

Dominion said incremental increases proposed for Sept. 1 and Jan. 1 will pay for operating costs, power plants in Buckingham and Wise counties and conservation programs. The increase also includes a 13.5 percent profit for the company and its investors.

At a time when Virginia businesses are laying off workers, Dominion is asking them to divert more money away from their payrolls and towards Dominion's payroll and profit.

The proposed 7 percent hike would be on top of the 18 percent rate increase we just got hit with in September. Oddly, the Washington Post article doesn't mention the 1.5 percent fee Dominion quietly added in January to cover the cost of the new $2 billion coal-fired power plant in Wise County. Compounding the rate hikes, it would be more than a 28 percent total increase.

But surely our elected officials will take a stand for consumers ... right?

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who does not have a formal role in reviewing the request, said Dominion officials informed him they would be seeking an increase.

"The SCC is a strong body with a great staff, and I think they will do due diligence on this," he said. "It's difficult because the cost of energy is going up."

Wow. Dominion wants to raise customers' energy bills more than 28 percent in the worst economy since the Great Depression, and all Gov. Kaine can muster is a shrugging "well, what're ya gonna do"?

Our continuing dependence on dirty coal is taking money out of consumers' pockets, costing Virginia jobs, stripping our natural resources, polluting our air, and warming our planet. Remember that the next time anyone tries to tell you we can't switch to clean energy.

MilesGrant2009.com

Will VA House Pass Smoking Ban Compromise?

There's an old saying that when it comes to passing legislation, a good compromise is one that both sides dislike equally. That seems to be true of the smoking ban compromise unveiled by Gov. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) yesterday. The ban would take effect this July 1st and would see Virginia would join 23 states and the District of Columbia in banning smoking in bars and restaurants.

Both the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and apparent hardcore libertarian Del. C. Todd Gilbert (R-Shenandoah) are opposing the deal. While I agree it's far from perfect deal, to use another legislative catch-phrase, the perfect shouldn't be the enemy of the good. I've been fighting for a statewide smoking ban for years now, and after talking to a range of people on this, I'm comfortable supporting this bill.

Anti-tobacco activists certainly have a point that the ban doesn't go as far as it should. All Virginia workers deserve protection from the health effects of secondhand smoke, not just ones who work in bars and restaurants. And the enforcement provisions seem weak, with just a $25 fine for each violation. Some smoke-free advocates worry businesses will allow people to continue smoking and just pay the token fine, especially in parts of Virginia that might not be eager to enforce the ban. Those legitimate concerns should be addressed in future legislation.

Here's the most interesting part of the Washington Post article to me:

Howell restarted the negotiations after he grew worried about the looming November elections, GOP delegates say. Since Howell took over as speaker in 2003, Democrats have picked up 11 House seats. If Democrats pick up six more seats in the November election, they will gain the majority.

Howell denies that politics influenced his decision. But Del. David B. Albo (R-Fairfax), who has tried to broker past compromises on the issue, said the speaker is trying to reverse the perception that House Republicans are inflexible.

Fighting the good fight works. It may not work the first time, or the second time, or ... well, how many years have we been at this now? But if you have the will of the people on your side, eventually even Richmond's roadblock Republicans have to step aside and let you pass.

Let's hope Republicans in the General Assembly do just that on Monday and vote to pass this reasonable compromise.

Will Richmond Accept Climate Commission's Challenge?

Governor Kaine's Commission on Climate Change has issued its final recommendations. Simply put, there's a lot to like:

Kaine had asked the commission to find ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions - mostly carbon dioxide from cars, power plants, factories, landfills, buildings and homes - by 30 percent of the projected levels in 2025.

But the commission voted during its last work session Thursday to go further and faster. It recommended that Virginia shoot for reductions of 25 percent below 1990 emission levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.

The goals mirror what President-elect Barack Obama has endorsed for a federal program to combat global warming and follow closely what the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has embraced. That group shared a Nobel Peace Prize with former Vice President Al Gore last year for its scientific efforts.

People like Paul Ferguson and Skip Stiles deserve credit for fighting over the last year to make sure the commission delivered strong targets. It looks like they got much of what they wanted, even coming within a single vote of a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants until carbon-capturing technology is available.

Now it's up to Gov. Kaine and the General Assembly to put these recommendations into action. If Republicans in the General Assembly are thinking about reject the results of this bipartisan commission, they need to know they'll face voters in the fall who want climate action now.

Cross-posted from RK

Virginia's "Confederate States of America"-Era Energy System

A must-read post over at Gristmill from Chesapeake Climate Action Network Executive Director Mike Tidwell:

[A]s the election approaches, here's the surprising question for every Northern Virginia voter: Why is this high-tech region, so dedicated to a "knowledge-based" economy, utterly dependent on an energy system as old as the Confederate States of America? Northern Virginia gets the lion's share of its electric power not from wind turbines or solar farms, but from coal. A shocking 1,180,400 tons of raw coal each year, nearly half of the area's total load. And it's not "clean coal" or "high-tech" coal. Just black, sooty, rip-it-from-the-ground-and-set-it-on-fire coal.

You'd think it would be different. You'd think Northern Virginia would be a leader in developing clean, sustainable energy at a level equal to its high-tech, high-education status.

You'd think. But two roadblocks stand in the way: Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine (D) and mega-utility Dominion Power.

Tidwell concludes with a call for investments in efficiency to cut power bills, saying Virginians "use more electricity every day than 75 percent of the rest of America. Surely we could do much, much better." But Virginia's current system allows Dominion to reap the most profits by selling us the most power.

Of course, while Kaine and Dominion are the biggest roadlocks, General Assembly Republicans have shown no interest in cutting consumers' power bills or easing our dependence on dirty, expensive energy sources. And many General Assembly Democrats are, at best, speed bumps, reluctant to challenge Richmond's status quo.

Cross-posted from RK

Kaine & Allen to Debate Energy & Enviroment

UPDATE 8:57am: You can see the live blog here.

The Green Miles is awake early and getting hopped up on Starbucks Organic Sumatra-Peru coffee, preparing to live blog this:

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) and former governor and senator George Allen (R) will represent the two presidential candidates in a debate about energy and the environment [Wednesday] morning in Northern Virginia. [...]

The debate, sponsored by the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce, will be held at the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott. The debate begins at 8 a.m. and will be moderated by Norah O'Donnell, MSNBC chief Washington correspondent.

"Energy and the environment are going to be huge issues facing the next president," said Peter Ryus, chairman of the chamber's environmental committee. "Virginia is an important setting for this debate because of its swing electoral votes, its demographics and its strategic proximity to Washington."

And of course the event is sponsored by ... wait for it ...

Sponsors: Platinum: Dominion

Almost time to hit the road, but live blogging should begin over at RK just before 8am.

Kaine Looking to Cut a Deal on Smoking?

Over at RK, Lowell looks ahead to the 2009 General Assembly session, examining the prospects for a statewide smoking ban in bars and restaurants, and doesn't like what he sees:

Now, as 2008 winds down and we move closer to the last General Assembly session of Tim Kaine's governorship, this issue is back. Unfortunately, this time around, I'm hearing that Kaine is going to push for a half-measure that's worse than doing nothing at all: no smoking in restaurants, but only before 10 pm. After that, you can light 'em up! What I'm hearing is that Health and Human Services Secretary Marilyn Tavenner is currently pushing for this utterly ridiculous approach, despite vehement opposition from public health advocates.

Why is Gov. Kaine, who's been excellent this issue, going this route? Sadly, what I'm hearing is that Kaine has decided that getting something is better than nothing on this issue. One source puts it this way: "This is as weak and mealy mouthed as you can get, but Tim Kaine wants to be able to say he accomplished something on this, because he certainly hasn't yet." The problem is that if this completely inadequate legislation goes through, it will most likely mean no REAL action on a comprehensive smoking ban in Virginia for many, many years. Essentially, the politicians will be able to pat themselves on the back and say, "hey, we accomplished something!" Except that they really won't have; I mean, what's the point if everyone can start smoking again after 10 pm? Stupid.

I'd rather put up a full ban and lose than have some half-measure like this. With even places like Clarendon Grill voluntarily going smoke-free, the pressure is on smoking ban opponents to defend their continued blind allegiance to Big Tobacco.

Green Crystal Ball: Previewing the VP Contenders

UPDATE: It's Biden.

Rumor has it Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama will announce his vice presidential pick today or tomorrow. Greenpeace has a roundup of the climate, energy, and environmental records of the leading contenders.

The candidates are clearly divided into two tiers. Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden have solid environmental resumes. Gov. Sebelius took a bold stand against new coal-fired power plants. Sen. Biden has an exceptionally strong record on clean energy and climate change issues in the Senate.

Meanhile, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine and Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh have been marginal at best -- and at worst, outright climate action foot-draggers.

When judging Democrats on the environment, it's critical to go beyond rhetoric. At this point all Democrats (and many Republicans) agree global warming is happening, man-made emissions are to blame, and we need to take action. But some Democrats like Kaine and Bayh shy away when it comes to setting targets. Here's Kaine at a recent the Southern Governors' Association meeting:

[I]n an acknowledgement of the political climate and the difficulties in building consensus, Kaine's initiative did not take the bigger step of proposing timetables and goals for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, or phasing in new technology or conservation regulation in the energy industry.

"I don't think you start with a goal," the governor said in an interview. "I think you start with a process in which you come up with goals and strategies to meet the goals.

"I would very much hope that goals would emerge, measurable goals, targets that we're going to try to hit," Kaine said.

We don't need process. We don't need discussion. We need action. And action doesn't mean more mushy talk about some future breakthrough that might make less-dirty coal not only technologically feasible but affordable. I invite Bayh and Kaine to start holding their breath.

Over on the GOP side, I'm guessing Greenpeace will release their look at leading VP contenders closer to Friday the 29th, when Republican nominee John McCain is expected to announce his running mate. But that doesn't mean The Green Miles can't take his own sneak peek now:

• Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman has been one of the nation's leading champions of strong climate action, most recently serving as lead co-sponsor of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act (PDF). Whatever you think of his politics or personality, if Al Gore wants you to be his running mate, it means you're as strong as it gets on real climate solutions.
  
  
• Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed legislation setting a 25% renewable energy standard for his state by 2025. He introduced a carbon emissions reduction proposal before the National Governors Association, but Robert Novak and Tim Carney reported it "was shot down by bipartisan opposition from the coal-oil bloc of governors."
  
  
• It's hard to get a read on former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge. He supported voluntary efforts to confront climate change, but then again, left the governor's mansion before global warming became front-and-center in the national debate.
  
  
• Then there's Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. Jindal opposes climate action, but it's nothing personal -- if you think the Bush administration is waging war on science, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Jindal is perhaps best known for signing a bill allowing local school boards to teach non-science theories on a wide range of scientific issues, from evolution to global warming. While serving in the U.S. House, Jindal garnered a dismal seven percent lifetime rating from the League of Conservation Voters and received some of the lowest scores in Congress from Republicans for Environmental Protection. Given McCain's moderate positions on science issues, I can't imagine him selecting Batshit Insane Bobby.

Who would you like to see Obama and McCain select?

Democrats' Disastrous "Me, Too" Drilling Strategy

You've seen the cycle a million times before. Republicans see a political opportunity to pander. They take a position that, despite being the public policy equivalent of junk food, scores points with voters. Democrats, fearful of losing populist ground, say "me, too!"

It's a devastatingly corrosive strategy that fails on every single level. Contrary to removing the issue from play or co-opting it, voters faced with Tough Stance or Tough Stance Imitator will choose the genuine article. A Republican opponent will still hammer the Democratic candidate just as hard with a snide "I'm glad my opponent has come around to my position" (the great part about this attack -- doesn't matter if the Democrat came around to this position at age 6, you can still use it).

It gets worse. Any Democrat who doesn't pander on the issue is branded as an extremist liberal unwilling to hammer out a deal. And if legislation is passed, even if it's a down-the-middle compromise, guess who the media will give credit for championing it? (Hint: Not us.)

So why are Tim Kaine, Mark Warner, and Jim Webb all supporting Republican proposals to drill for fossil fuel off Virginia's shores?

It's hard to call Kaine and Warner's positions anything other than trying to have it both ways. Gov. Kaine claims he only supports natural gas exploration "to determine potential natural gas deposits." Mark Warner twists himself into knots, saying, "I favor the exploration piece, not the development piece." And then what? It's sort of a window-shopping approach to drilling.

Despite his longstanding support for more drilling, Sen. Webb does deserve credit for voting the right way on other energy issues, supporting proposals to extend renewable energy tax credits and crack down on speculators. Both bills were killed by GOP filibusters.

Fortunately, both Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran voted against an offshore drilling plan during this year's special session. While neither candidate has yet laid out detailed energy plans, it's promising that both did the right thing on drilling this year.

I know what you're thinking. "Miles, you treehugging dope," you say, "Republicans will use the drilling issue to hammer us in November!" I'm sure they'll try, but I'm not so sure they'll succeed. Neither is Matt Yglesias:

So here's a thought: For years and years before 2006, the savvy leadership of the Republican Party took the view that indulging the base's passion for Mexican-hating would be a political error. It was important, thought Bush, Rove, et. al, to position the GOP as a forward-thinking pro-immigration party. Then along came a moment of political desperation for congressional Republicans at which point they seized upon immigrant-bashing as a cure for their midterm blues. Democrats, conditioned by decades of defeat to instinctively believe that whatever crap the GOP is pulling at any given moment is political genius, had a moment of panic. But at the end of the day, it turned out that the Republican strategists were right the first time and there is no mass swing constituency for immigration restriction capable of delivering elections -- the crank racists were already Republicans, and this just helped push Hispanics into the Democratic column.

Flash forward to the Great Drilling Debate of 2008. Recall that it's unlikely that Bush and the GOP leadership weren't pushing this issue back in 2006 or 2004 out of their deep-rooted environmental convictions. Instead, the leadership didn't used to push offshore drilling because they thought offshore drilling was a bad issue -- the people who care either work for the oil companies (and are Republicans anyway) or else are drilling opponents worried that their communities and coastal economies will be wrecked by drilling. But facing another drubbing in November, congressional Republicans have talked themselves into believing that "drill drill drill" will deliver them a victory.

I'm sure you've heard plenty of polls reported in the media that Americans want more drilling. And it's true that if you ask, "Do you want more drilling in an effort to lower gas prices," Americans say yes. But that question reveals more about Americans' desire for lower gas prices than it does about their desire for drilling. And there's also the minor detail of the question's premise simply being false -- the Dept. of Energy says new drilling wouldn't lower gas prices for at least a decade, and only then by a few pennies.

Ask Americans whether they want clean energy solutions or more drilling and they'll choose clean energy every time. And why wouldn't they? Americans love more choices. Clean energy solutions would give us more energy diversity. Americans love saving money. Energy efficient technologies will cut our energy bills.

Democrats are not dealing from a position of weakness on energy. They're dealing from a position of strength. Voters don't want more drilling. They want leadership on real solutions. Let's give it to them.

Look, I'm not saying we should never compromise on the drilling issue. There's a case to be made that the Gang of Ten energy proposal in the Senate right now could be a net positive bill. But if our Democratic leaders won't take strong stands now, we'll be negotiating from a position of weakness when the Senate reconvenes in September.

Speaking of which, have you called your members of Congress to tell them to oppose more giveaways to Big Oil and support clean energy solutions? You can find contact information here.

Cross-posted from RK

Suggested Theme Song for Gov. Kaine

Just finished writing up a post over at RK on the major coal plant ruling in Georgia. I should be happy that it dramatically increases the likelihood the planned Wise County coal-fired power plant will be blocked. The Wise County plant's permits allow for unlimited carbon dioxide emissions, which the Georgia judge ruled are a no-no under Massachusetts vs. EPA.

But it's a lose-lose-lose situation. Wise County doesn't get the jobs. Virginia's clean energy future remains murky. And we're no closer to global warming solutions.

As for Gov. Tim Kaine, a year ago, I hoped to convince him to change his mind on the Wise County plant. But he only dug in his heels deeper. That seems to be his style. He's a brawler. He doesn't want to be persuaded - he'll show you who's boss.

Now it looks like he'll go down with the ship on Wise County. And I can't be happy about that, either. As I got to the last paragraph of that RK post thinking about Kaine's legacy, Coldplay's Viva la Vida kept playing in my head. "I used to rule the world ..."

Opportunity Lost: Virginia Dems & the Wise Co. Power Plant

Virginia's Air Pollution Control Board last week approved Dominion's permit to build a coal-fired power plant in Wise County. You can read a first-hand account at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network's blog. The Southern Environmental Law Center has vowed to continue the fight against the Wise County plant in court.

The biggest losers are Virginia consumers who will now have to pay high costs in both the short term and long run. In the short term, we'll be paying at least $1.8 billion to build the plant. And in the long term, we'll bear the burden of skyrocketing coal prices along with any national carbon pricing.

But the plant decision also represents a huge opportunity lost for Virginia's leading Democrats:

• Opportunity lost for Gov. Tim Kaine, a relentless cheerleader for Dominion and coal who has seen his national standing tarnished and his statewide approval rating drop to 46 percent. There are many factors to Kaine's plummeting popularity like the ongoing gridlock on transportation solutions and his signing of the estate tax repeal. But his have-it-both-ways environmental stance - talking tough but refusing to take a stand on coal - has managed to tick off everyone, angering both flat-Earth conservatives and climate activist liberals.
  
  
• Opportunity lost for U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner, who put forth a strong energy plan but passed on an opportunity to put his principles into action. Warner instead pandered on the power plant while in southwest Virginia, calling it the proposed plant "an economic engine for the whole region" even though the SCC has said the plant would result in a net loss statewide of 1,474 jobs. Is Warner a Kaine clone - saying one thing in Northern Virginia and another down south?
  
  
• Opportunity lost for gubernatorial candidates Creigh Deeds and Brian Moran, who've chosen to stay completely silent on the most critical environmental issue our state has faced this year. Environmentalists fought hard to elect Tim Kaine, only to see him take environmental stances so soft they should be served in a mini-helmet covered in strawberry sauce and walnuts. Why should environmentalists bother fighting for either Deeds or Moran if they side with Dominion and coal over clean energy and climate action?

If Virginia Republicans were savvy, they could follow the models of Gov. Charlie Crist (R-FL) and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA), using environmental issues to win over moderate voters. But they're much too busy targeting immigrant families, trying to ban all abortions, and blocking funding for transportation solutions.

Secretive Kaine Air Pollution Control Board Letter Revealed

After days of mysterious reports and devastating condemnations, Gov. Kaine's full letter to Virginia Air Pollution Control Board members has finally hit the net.

As has been reported, it couldn't be more vaguely worded. Kaine writes that he wants to provide "clear direction on my expectations," yet never actually references Dominion's proposed 585-megawatt, $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant in Wise County. Kaine also never says what form of air pollution he's so concerned about. As for what prompted the letter, Kaine only makes a murky reference to "recent reports."

In fact, the letter really only makes one thing clear - board members should do as Kaine directs them. The governor uses some form of the word "direct" seven times in a ten-sentence letter.

Let's review the expected annual emissions from the proposed plant:

- 5.3 million tons of carbon dioxide
- 4,132 tons of carbon monoxide
- 3,369 tons of sulfur dioxide
- 1,971 tons of nitrogen oxides
- 739 tons of particulate matter
- 139 tons of volatile organic compounds
- Up to 72 pounds of mercury

And we're supposed to believe this is "clean coal"? Right. As Cale Jaffe of the Southern Environmental Law Center said today, "If the issue is about enforcing the 'existing regulatory framework' as Gov. Kaine says, then this plant should not come close to getting permitted."

An Air Pollution Control Board hearing on the plant is set for next week in Wise Co. Learn more at CCAN's website.

Cross-posted from RK

Bristol Herald Courier: Kaine "Knee-Deep in the Muck"

UPDATE 4:40pm: Find the full text of the letter and more at RK.

Gov. Kaine has already sacrificed huge amounts of credibility to go to bat for Dominion Virginia Power, cheerleading unrestrained dependence on coal even in the face of proposed massive rate increases.

But today, the Bristol Herald Courier says Kaine has reached a new low:

For some months, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine has carefully stayed out of the controversy surrounding Dominion Power Co.’s proposed coal-fired plant in Wise County.

No more. The governor is knee-deep in the muck – firing off an opaquely worded letter to the state Air Pollution Control Board that nudges the panel to give the plant its stamp of approval.

Kaine shrewdly avoids issuing a direct executive command, but the implications of his letter are clear. The five-member citizen panel had better not stand in Dominion’s way. [...]

Kaine drafted the letter to the board June 10. A day later, his communications director, Gordon Hickey, denied that such a letter existed. On Friday, Hickey said he didn’t learn of the letter until after he spoke with this newspaper. [...]

It seems likely that Kaine wanted to influence the Air Pollution Control Board in private while preserving his public persona as an environmental crusader. He cannot have it both ways without being judged guilty of blatant hypocrisy.

Check out more analysis of Kaine's letter from the former chair of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.

Cross-posted from RK

Saturday: Tell Gov. Kaine No New Coal!

Just got this from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network:

Many of you have spent a lot of your time over the last few months fighting Dominion Power's controversial coal plant proposal for Wise County -- from gathering petition signatures to giving testimony for the SCC, you have done it all. The grassroots response to the notion that Virginians should pay $1.8 billion for 5.3 million tons of CO2, 49 pounds of mercury and more mountaintop removal coal mining has overwhelmed nearly everyone in this state, except for Governor Kaine.

The Governor still staunchly supports the Wise County Coal plant, and this Saturday at 1pm you have a chance to ask him why at a town hall meeting in Falls Church. Join dozens this Saturday to give the Governor a piece of your mind. Virginians want clean energy, not new coal!

What: Governor Kaine's Last Public Town Hall Meeting -- Free to attend, no RSVP needed
When: Saturday, April 12th, 1pm - 2:30pm
Where: Luther Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Rd, Falls Church, VA

If you can make this event, please go and tell Gov. Kaine to reject new coal plants and instead invest in a clean energy future!

Washingtonian Lumps Kaine In With Bush, Cheney, Inhofe

Is Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine a "dirty rotten scoundrel"? That's what Washingtonian magazine is calling him. Gov. Kaine is included in a list of ten DC-area residents "standing in the way of change":

Governor Tim Kaine
In September, Kaine unveiled an ambitious energy plan that included cutting Virginia’s greenhouse-gas emissions 30 percent by 2025. But environmentalists point out that Kaine’s support of new coal-fired plants will increase the state’s dependence on dirty energy.

Also included in the list - leading global warming denier Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), President Bush, and Vice President Cheney. As Austin Powers would say ... ouch, baby. Very ouch.

But if anything, the write-up itself is kind to Gov. Kaine. His Virginia Energy Plan doesn't cut greenhouse gas emissions 30% from current levels by 2025. It's a 30% cut from the projected rate of growth by 2025, which only works out to about a 7% cut from current levels.

How could Gov. Kaine turn his image around? Easy. Stop cheerleading for new coal power plants. Invest in energy efficiency and conservation to save Virginia taxpayers and businesses millions of dollars in energy costs. Create new jobs by promoting clean energy sources like solar, wind and tidal power.

In fact, the poll right now on the eponymous Raising Kaine blog asks whether Gov. Kaine should stop supporting the proposed coal-fired power plant in Wise County. Vote now and tell Gov. Kaine to choose clean energy over coal!

The People of Virginia vs. Big Coal

Please take action right now to tell Gov. Kaine it's not too late to change the course of Virginia's future from climate destruction to clean energy.