Mordor, where Coal is King.

cross-posted from the CCAN Blog

Virginians are no stranger to coal. A state that currently generates 42% of its electricity from the old-school fossil fuel, we are used to living in a political culture that accepts – and endorses – the adherence to a fuel as old as the dinosaurs, and equally archaic. Major players in Richmond, including Dominion Resources, Massey Energy and others, have tirelessly worked to secure a future for the stuff in the face of massive grassroots resistance, emergent federal climate legislation (mutilated by coal-friendly Congressman Boucher), and a nationwide call to restore our floundering economy by establishing the Commonwealth and the US as a leader in green technology. Fighting an uphill battle, the Carbon Legion has been forced to fight increasingly hard against the renewable technology industry, moves toward higher levels of efficiency, and a people who want America to shake its dependence on dirty energy.

It makes sense, then, that the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) has found itself compelled to resort to a new set of tactics in securing a future for coal within Virginia.

Prior to Congress’ vote on H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, Congressman Tom Perriello of Charlottesville, a democrat, received separate letters from the local NAACP and Creciendo Juntos, a Hispanic community group. Both letters urged Mr. Perriello to vote “no” on the upcoming bill, giving the impression that a large portion of his district’s minority population were against the legislation. Against the alleged will of his own constituency, Perriello went ahead and voted for the bill, which passed by a razor-thin margin in the House. In spite of the wishes of his own electorate, the congressman cast his vote for a cleaner energy future.

This past week has come to tell a strikingly different story, one of forgery, lies and deception, all orchestrated by the ACCCE and its cohorts. Lobbying group Bonner & Associates, who are currently under contract with the ACCCE, fabricated the two letters, each representative of the topmost minority groups in the Untied States. In short, the coal industry has chosen to misrepresent the American people by constructing deliberate and bold-faced lies that work to take advantage of an underrepresented population, our elected officials, and the very democracy on which this nation is built. Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) has initiated a formal investigation into the matter, one that carries severe implications for the lobbying firm and its stranglehold on progressing America’s energy future.

The nerve of some people…

Like Lucifer, King coal is constantly at work in the world. Our most recent example comes from Dendron Virginia, where the Old Dominion Electric Cooperative has proposed what would be the largest coal-fired power plant in the entire Commonwealth. In early July, Dendron’s town council voted to retain its own planning commission in order to better guard control over its future as a town. This week, that same council voted to reconsider its decision, certainly not without the influence of heavy-handed ODEC and the backing of a massive fossil fuel regime.

In October, the Dendron town council will once again bring the issue to a vote. As in film, sequels are rarely as good as the first edition. Things could take a turn for the worse. We sleep better knowing that Surryers and Dendronites don’t take lightly to outside control. No reason to give up, yet.

With every step forward, it seems, we must endure a few setbacks. I have said it before; playing fair often involves working against those who do not. Those who cheat, subvert, and deceive are given an unjust upper hand. This is as true in the halls of Congress as in the town of Dendron. The ACCCE chose forgery as its weapon of choice. ODEC has opted for intimidation, profiling, and fear mongering to better its position in Southeast Virginia. Despite the occasional hold-up, the case against the industry has continued to swell in Virginia and across the country. Acts such as these, while a potential benefit in the short term, do little to secure coal’s future in a larger scope.

To the ACCCE, you’re embarrassing yourself, and you undermine the very people that you claim to serve. Go legit or go home