Citizens from across Virginia are swarming to St. Paul, Wise County to comment on Dominion's proposed coal-fired power plant. Citizens from across Virginia are swarming to St. Paul, Wise County to comment on Dominion's proposed coal-fired power plant.
Tonight is the first of two public meetings to be held by the Department of Environmental Quality on Dominion's air permit. The second will be held Feb 19th in Richmond.
And why are so many people coming out to speak? Is it the 5.3 million tons of CO2? The 72 pounds of mercury? The mountaintop removal coal-mining that will result? Or maybe its because we're actually being asked to pay $1.8 billion for the privelege of breathing this pollution. If you can't make it, you can still submit comments online.
Last week, the State Corporation Commission questioned Dominion's attempt to earn an addition 2% profit from this facility by claiming it is "carbon capture compatible". The Richmond Times Dispatch reported that Dominion claims it may not build that plant if that 2% profit (roughly $6million annually) isn't granted. Read more. Strange argument, considering Dominion also admited that carbon capture technology doesn't actually exist yet.
However, Virginia Power Vice President Paul Hilton convinced the SCC with this overpowering statement. "Our company believes there is eventually going to be some sort of carbon-capture technology added." Seems like enough to go on to me. They've got my 2%. How about you?
Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology: Obama will significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. Obama will consider whatever policy tools are necessary, including standards that ban new traditional coal facilities, to ensure that we move quickly to commercialize and deploy low carbon coal technology.
Most are unaware it was Obama & Bunning (R-KY) who put together the framework for the coal to liquid gasification legislation which eventually became part of EISA 2007 which passed in Dec 2007.
Then, lets not forget the words straight from the mouth of the 13-time elected U.S. representative from VA-9, the district which represents all of southwestern VA, democrat Rick Boucher, who sits on the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce and chairs the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality:
"I am very pleased by Dominion's selection of a site for the future development of a new clean-coal power generation plant in Wise County," said U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon. "I will work with Dominion to ensure all federal regulatory requirements are resolved as expeditiously as possible."
Coal mining is painful to Appalachia, no doubt. But the reality is that is isn't going away, and probably not until we run out. Engineers need to develop true clean coal technology and less destructive mining methods. I hope the universities in Appalachia like VT & WVU and others coal science colleges like Southern Illinois, work to find just that.
CCS and IGCC initiatives are being promoted to avoid what you claim "polar ice caps melt, sea levels rise by several meters, thousands of species go extinct (so long, polar bears, it was nice knowing you!), and we completely screw up the planet."
The reality is until more efficient and less destructive mining methods can be found, there is no other alternative, especially if you & I and the rest of America, want to use our computers as much as we do, watch catv, and plug our hybrid into our wall outlets, etc, etc. Furthermore, in this day and age of population expansion and environmental & land protection, existing versus new utility right-of-ways is another reality often overlooked.
Since coal-generated electricity comprises more than 50% of total output, if 80% C02 reduction by 2050 is the goal, we must attack where you can, and that is cleanup coal generation. You can't eliminate it Lowell, that's ludicrous, especially when there is huge opposition by environmentalists against nuclear. (Are you in favor of expanding nuclear at North Anna and Surrey - rhe land is already set aside for it?) Getting the nation off of oil, let alone foreign oil, and staying out of ANWAR, means we have to generate more electricity ASAP. And lets not forget the regulatory requirements which handcuff the holy hell out of utilities, making the mass siting of renewables wherever electricity demand is high, expensive, unreliable and therefore irrational. Imagine the political popularity in favor of the higher prices for every kilowatts hour to save the planet! Throw in the public's (and many RKer's) ignorance and unwilling participation in EEC like something simple as this, will further make CCS and IGCC that much more crucial to our everyday realities.