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As Dominion Virginia Power presented its 15-year Integrated
Resource Plan (IRP)[1] to
the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) on Tuesday, angry Virginian’s testified
before Dominion representatives and SCC officials, asking the latter to reject
Dominion’s 15-year energy plan[2],
while close to 50 concerned Virginian’s gathered outside of the SCC
headquarters to demand “clean energy now”.[3]
In a response given to the Associated Press prior to the SCC
hearing, Dominion emphasized that the 15-year plan is not set in stone and is
revised every two years to reflect differences in assumptions, market
developments, load growth, and other issues.
Continuing its “green” public relations efforts, Dominion
cited its proposed 30 megawatts of solar power on leased commercial rooftops. Dominion
also noted its efforts to gain leases to construct wind farms off of Virginia’s
coast.
But for a company that has tremendous expertise and capital
resources, Dominion seems woefully slow to construct clean forms of energy that
could save lives and reduce the financial burdens of energy generation for
Virginians.
As if we needed another reason, there are also thousands of
jobs that stand to be created in Virginia from an offshore wind industry alone.
As Del. Joe Morrissey pointed out in an interview during the
energy plan hearing, “By adding solar and wind, we’re going to be adding jobs.”
In a letter delivered by Morrissey with the signatures of 13 fellow Virginia
legislators, a study is cited that estimates up to 10,000 jobs could be created
in Virginia’s offshore wind industry.
But as Dawone Robinson of the Chesapeake Climate Action
Network pointed out, “We want to see a commitment from the largest utility in
the state of Virginia to a multi-purpose approach that also includes offshore
winds.” That is, Dominion needs to actually make concrete commitments and moves
towards expanding Virginian’s clean energy portfolio, and soon.
Until Dominion makes these concrete commitments and moves
towards clean energy in Virginia, they can expect to see more angry Virginians
calling them out for destroying our futures for a larger profit margin.
Dominion serves the people of Virginia, not the other way around.
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