From our fight to stop the proposed Hampton Roads coal plant to our efforts to curb mountaintop removal and promote energy efficiency in the Commonwealth, February has been a whirlwind month. We’d like to take a moment to update you on recent events and what they mean for the rest of 2010.

In early February, the Town of Dendron and Surry and Sussex Counties approved zoning changes for Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s proposed $6 billion coal plant. However, thanks to the hard work of local concerned citizens and others around the state, it took ODEC more than a year to get these votes, during which time the grassroots opposition has grown stronger and broader.

With local residents leading the way, we have sent ODEC a clear message: We will confront you every step of the way until we win. Wise Energy for Virginia will continue to work with local citizens as the fight moves to the arenas of the state and federal governments.

Our Stream Saver bill (SB 564), which would curtail mountaintop removal coal mining in Virginia, was given a special hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committee (one senator called it “one of the largest hearings in the history of the State Capitol”). Dozens of affected citizens drove six hours from southwest Virginia to make their case to the senators. While the bill was not voted on this year, it forced the legislature to confront the devastating problems of mountaintop removal for the first time ever and drew significant attention to the issue.

We also worked to advance the “Virginia Jobs and Efficiency Act” (SB 71), a bill to create mandatory energy efficiency standards for utilities. Piggybacking off our legislative progress on energy efficiency last year, this bill would have created up to 10,000 green jobs, reduced pollution and decreased demand for mountaintop removal coal. Despite strong support from citizens and the business community, this common-sense bill did not pass out of committee, highlighting the need to continue educating legislators about the issue.

Thank you for all of your past efforts. We hope we can count on your continued support as we work to change the direction of energy policy in the Commonwealth. We cannot win without your help.

Kathy Selvage
Wise Energy for Virginia