On Wednesday November 30th, 50 citizens rallied in front of Dominion Headquarters in Richmond to call on the company to reduce coal-fired electricity generation and to include more investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency in their Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Dominion’s IRP is now before the State Corporation Commission (SCC), which accepted public comments on the IRP until December 1st.

“We are here to send the message to Dominion and the SCC that Virginians want their electricity to come from clean renewable energy sources” Sierra Club organizer Kate Pollard stated in a speech to the group, “we are looking to them to do all that they can to develop these industries right here in Virginia.” James Huff, CEO of Abacus Solar, a German based company that recently opened a new US location in Richmond, spoke about job creation as one of the many benefits of investments in renewable energy development in Virginia.

The group marched to the SCC headquarters carrying a 300 ft banner made of petitions signed by citizens and clean energy businesses. The petitions urge the SCC to approve Dominion’s plan to shut down the Chesapeake and Yorktown coal plants as planned, and to support increased investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency. A few rally participants entered the SCC building to submit the 2,500 comments directly before the conclusion of the rally.

Article in the Richmond Times-Dispatch covering the Rally for Renewables