On Thursday, Dominion Virginia Fossil Fuel, I mean Dominion
Virginia Power announced that it will install its first solar energy
installation at Old Dominion University (ODU), part of Dominion’s “Solar
Partnership Program,” otherwise known as deflecting environmentally pointed
criticism by doing the bare minimum with clean energy to help rescue the
planet.
At the horrendously insignificant cost (for Dominion) of
$500,000, Dominion will install over 600 photovoltaic panels on the roof of ODU’s
Student Recreation Center over the summer.
The photovoltaic panels will be able to generate 132 kilowatts
of electricity that will feed into the power grid at the university. Accordingly,
132
kilowatts is able to power close to 35 homes.
But here is where the liars, double speak, and hypocrisy of
Dominion Virginia Power starts to become unbearably odious. According to Dominion
Virginia Power’s vice president for ‘customer solutions’ Ken Barker, “This
new program [i.e., solar panels at ODU] is already encouraging the growth of
solar energy in Virginia, as many other customers have contacted us and shown
interest.” Uh, hey Ken, Virginians have been interested in solar power for
quite some time now. It’s Dominion who has been (and still is) dragging their
feet on solar power and thus, adding tremendously to the problem of murdering
Mother Earth.
I remember vividly that beautiful day in Richmond when a
representative from Dominion Virginia Power stood up in front of a senate committee
and argued against allowing solar power to be used by not-for-profit
organizations like churches on their buildings and/or properties. Dominion’s representative
argued that allowing not-for-profits to have solar panels would open up
Virginia’s energy sector to (wait for it!) de-centralization (and a big
challenge to Dominion Virginia Power’s monopoly on electricity).
Of course, the senate committee was probably already leaning
towards their campaign financing pimps in the first place, but the word ‘de-centralization’
struck a chord of fear into the hearts of these committee members. And thus,
solar power was once again brushed under the rug in Virginia.
But now Dominion Virginia Power is gung-ho about supplying
our state with power from the sun (as long as they’re in control). Dominion’s hypocrisy
is truly astounding.
Let no Virginian be deceived, Dominion is very much against
fossil fuel relief!
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