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Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, along with various members of the General Assembly, has once again favored special interest and corporate profits over Virginia’s jobs and quality of life. Cuccinelli has advocated passage of HB2261, which would reduce bonuses paid to Dominion and Appalachian Electric Power (AEP) companies as incentives to diversify their energy portfolios by deriving more energy from clean renewable sources rather than fossil fuels.
Both power companies have asked for this legislation to pass and claim it would reduce utility rates. While utility rates are a pocket book concern for the average Virginian, this bill would kill thousands of jobs which could have been created assembling new wind turbines and nuclear power plants which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save oil and gas supplies. In addition, utility prices are sticky downward, meaning it is likely the power companies will resist lowering rates once the bonuses have been reduced.
HB2261 is another instance in which policymakers have chosen to ignore the progression of global climate change. Although climate change is a global issue, Virginia must be a part of the solution locally. The effects of climate change in Virginia can be seen through warmer winters, higher sea levels on the eastern shore and hurricanes such as Irene.
Many policymakers want to expand energy supplies from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas. However, unlike fossil fuels, wind turbines and solar panels use a free and unlimited supply of energy and do not cause offshore spills or methane explosions in underground mines. Manufacturing renewable energy conductors could become a thriving blue-collar sector replacing those lost by phasing out coal and oil production. Virginia could have a productive, healthy, clean-energy economy, but only if citizens oppose legislation such as HB2261 and recognize their utility bills will drastically fall if Dominion and AEP take advantage of free, unlimited energy sources.
A version of this article appeared in the Jan 29 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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If you think this is bad imagine if the companies were part of a union.
While monopolies as public utilities are perfectly legal the government subsidizing of green energy would have been worse. Green energy has been around since the 1970's (Gas crisis) and has billions of dollars poured into. While I won't debate whether or not climate change should be taken into consideration you do realise that power companies have to get regulatory approval first before raising rates on residential and business customers? Honestly, the fact some people won't consider 'the all of the above apporach' with oil exploration (off-shore drilling & ANWAR) natural gas etc. is the problem. The "market" just isn't there for solar power and wind enery turbines. Having to buy one of these energy efficent light bulbs CFL (with mercury inside I might add) does not solve the problem. Having a carbon tax and having an emission inpection (NoVA) does not solve the problem.
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You forgot to mention how the government subsidizing corn in order to be used for fuel; biofuels; etc. has added to the price of it and caused a shortage of corn both in industralized countries and thrid world countries where people are hungry.
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You mean ethanol right?
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what part of the "renewable energy conductor" business was ever thriving? the industry doesn't stand on its own; it's always subsidized. to suggest that it could, well yes, a dog could fly if it had wings ...
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How about Dominion getting behind deregulating power so consumers can get their rates bid on by other power companies. Our neighbors in PA, MD, and DC have deregulated power and their electric bills are lower.
Also, Dominion owns many communities street lights and charges those communities just for the use of power. Sounds great, as the communities don't have any maintenance costs, but the lighting Dominion uses burns twice as much energy as other lighting that is available. Doesn't sound like reducing our carbon footprint is really important to them, more like the bottom line.
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