On Wednesday evening, environmentally minded protesters
gathered outside of The Governor’s Energy Conference to urge the attendees to
support increases in wind and solar power development and a reduction in fossil
fuel use.
The previous day, Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) defended the
energy conference as representative of Virginia’s energy industry. According to
McDonnell, over 90% of Virginia’s electricity is produced by nuclear power or
coal plants. But Bob, that’s precisely the point of the environmental protesters!
The Governor’s Energy Conference is a three-day conference
that environmentalists in Virginia have lamented as deficient in advocates for
“green energy” while tall on representatives for the fossil fuel industries.[1]
Virginia director of Appalachian Voices[2]
noted, “Unfortunately, these companies dominate Virginia’s energy policy, just
as they dominate the conference agenda.”[3]
What the protesters are protesting, therefore, is the dominant influence of
fossil fuel advocates in Virginia and the reluctance of elected officials to
spurn their old allies for cleaner sources of energy like wind and solar power.
In reference to the conferees at this year’s energy
conference, McDonnell commented, “I think it’s a reasonable balance based on
what we’re doing, and what we’re using.” But for a governor who has claimed the
label of “all of the above,” it seems like an empty slogan when the sources of
energy that aren’t present in Virginia are highlighted.[4]
Practically, Virginia’s fossil fuel use isn’t going anywhere
in the foreseeable future. But what the protesters at the energy conference
demand at a minimum is a more aggressive push by Virginia’s elected officials
and private utilities in the direction of clean energy, at direction that has
received much more lip-service than action.
With regards to wind power in particular, Virginia’s coast
line holds immense potential for wind energy utilization.[5]
Virginia’s leaders know which way Virginia should be headed,
but Virginia’s fossil fuel industry has polluted more than just Virginia’s air,
it’s polluted Virginia’s political system as well.
[1] http://hamptonroads.com/2012/10/environmentalists-critical-mcdonnell-energy-confab
[2] http://appvoices.org/
[3] http://hamptonroads.com/2012/10/environmentalists-critical-mcdonnell-energy-confab
[4] http://hamptonroads.com/2012/10/environmentalists-critical-mcdonnell-energy-confab
[5] http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/03/virginia-offshore-wind-turbine-positioned-to-be-first-in-u-s
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