Hey Josh great work.  My understanding is the new power plant would be mostly automated and would import key engineers from out of state and not provide more than about 40-50 new jobs for current Virginia residents?  Whatever the accurate numbers are this is the key area of focus.  There is immense pressure to meet electricity demand and keep costs low (and you need to acknowledge this) but the biggest weapon Dominion wields is "JOBS"

They have an $800 million payroll in Virginia and they bully the semi-retarded assembly with big talk of "JOBS" "JOBS" "JOBS."  They say many new jobs will be created if you cooperate and X number of jobs will be lost in your district if you don't cooperate.  This is a very compelling case.  You need to call their bluff with realistic numbers while making your normal case of how it is destroying the land and hurting our children when there are better alternatives available.

I don't know that they are convincing legislators with implied threats of job losses.  I think it is all the money they spend on campaign contributions, steak dinners, perks, and other lobbying efforts that does the trick.  Ultimately, legislators could do more damage to Dominion than the other way round.  Also, Dominion doesn't have a huge labor force everywhere in VA, but they manage to always net votes from across the state and across party lines.  I guess you could say Dominion is a uniter not a divider, they are always successful at getting bipartisan support for their legislative agenda.

Their lobbyists just provide this nice package (which includes the jobs argument) to sell the legislation they pass.  

Let's say it's 50 jobs that pay an average of $50,000 per year. And let's say the plant operates for 50 years.

That's $125 million in salary paid. For a $1.6 billion (and rising) investment. This is the best we can do with our taxpayer dollars?

want to send those cards to the SCC instead of Governor Kaine.  During our call with him last night he said that he wasn't the one to be making such decisions - that it was in the SCC's  hands.

First off, i'm really glad you guys grilled him on the plant last night.   He's obviously just passing the buck on this.

The SCC comment period is over, and we've already gotten over 1000 comments into the DEQ.   The public outcry is there.  But if DEQ and the SCC just follow the status quo directive from the GA, they're gonna approve the plant.   I think Gov. Kaine is trying to avoid the fact that this has become political and he can't ignore it.  If they build the plant on his watch, it will  be on his shoulders.

Here's my point.  Can you picture him being grilled in some national debate (can't imagine why he would be)on why a non-carbon capture nefficient coal-fired power plant was built months after he created a climate commission, and he starts blaming the SCC???

Firstly, I would say the SCC role is as the judicial function in the process.  Unless Kaine were to issue an executive order forebidding old style coal before CCS technology arrives, I think that's about all you can expect out of him, but that is highly unlikely especially since not less than 7 months ago, the GA just passed his Virgina Energy Plan.  

The writing on the wall was there, more than 18 months ago when it was announced Wise Co. was the selected site; followed by the re-regulation bill nearly to this day one year ago.  Re-regulation moreorless gave back the monolopy to Dominion, and without a more open market from de-regulation, competition becomes stiffled.  Without competition, progress towards other alternatives is farther out of the reach of the public and the market's desires.  Interestingly, a report on just this topic was issued two days ago and is available here.  

"In theory and in practice, restructured markets are superior in providing production efficiency incentives, in encouraging efficient demand side activity, and in encouraging investment in alternative forms of generation." Press release

What a complete shame.  Also you have to understand the need today.  VA has one of the highest rates of demand growth in the nation.  Some 4,000 MW will be needed they say, within the next 10 years.  Proposals are out there for this 585 MW plant, ~1750 MW from nuclear, 250 MW from wind, plus another 300-600 MW from gas.  The rest I believe will come from Mt. Storm, WV via a 500kv line & EEC.

As you probably know, the Wise Co site is being touted by Dominion as the "Virginia Hybrid Energy Center"/i>.  20% of the plants capacity is supposed to generate electricity from wood waste material.  Without this plant joining the two new small wind farms it has bought into, Dominion will probably say it wouldn't be able reach the state's recommended 12% RPS.

I think one of the issues we're dealing with here is that forecasted demand you've referenced.  

The standard assumption everyone makes is that because demand will increase by 4,000 MW the next 10 years, that we must meet that increased demand.  If we instead focused on conservation (i.e. we can't have everything we want and must cut back) then we won't need all of those 4,000 MW.  Which drastically changes the equation in terms of new power generation.

Of course, conservation is about as unpopular as it gets.  So it won't be an easy sell and I seriously doubt any politician has the courage to push this hard.  But this is the direction we need to be going - not total capitulation to every energy whim.

The #1 goal to Kaine's Virginia Energy Plan is EEC.  Topping the list of strategy to advance EEC is education http://www.dmme.virginia.gov/D... (1st page right column).  I can not tell you how many times I have been promoting EEC over other renewables only to be hooted down around here as some sort of big-energy pumper or an Inofe Jr.  

EEC is not conservation 1970's style.  Its so much more advanced than that.  Intel, IBM, Cisco and other hi-tech co's are just getting into it because its going to be huge.  Check out EPAct 2005 and EISA 2007 Section xiii.

Aside from home audits and energy star appliances, I'm talking about SmartGrid technologies, demand response and load management.  Its so big and developing now, its being labelled the 5th fuel.  Duke Energy CEO, Jimmy Rodgers, is so taken by it, his company's new strategy to promote it over all others, won him the CEO of the Year Award from Platt's - the Platt's is the equivalent of the Academy Awards to the film industry.  Duke has now pledged no old-style coal until CCS is ready and he was or is the lead chair on ACEE and NAPEE.  

Eric, the cause of grid expansion is primarily related to increases in peak demand.  These peaks simply occur about 10-15 times a year during the summer months when the weather is the hottest, typically from 2 to 6pm.  On these days, demand is revved up because of increase in a/c usage.  Managing one's a/c consumption can simply decrease the spike in peak demand, decreasing the need for grid expansion.  Its that basic.  

If you are in an electric co-op in VA, read this and I urge you to get one.  If you think CFL's or a hybrid car is worthy, installing one of these devices has just as much impact if not more, and the potential impact from widespread usage is probably of greater significance.  

Even the state of CA sees the importance, and has made EEC (demand response) its top ranking resource when capacity is required.  CA is the trailblazer in new energy policy.  They are so advance in EEC, its practically a crime in my mind why other states just aren't plaguarizing their policy!

So just why are things like this so out of the mainstream and away from the public's ears?  It ain't nifty enough to badazzle Wall Street, but I think that's about to change.  Also, I have to be honest, AGW alarmists also tout renewables as the above all, do all means to save the planet.  Anything against that view is blasphemy and they shoo-shoo it; and if they aren't onboard, who's going to lead the charge?  Imagine a group of citizens including myself, before our county board of supervisors, petition them to approve EEC for the county.  Believe it or not, all but 2 voted with the plan, the two were Democrats!  Quietly, government and a few others, including big energy folks are committed to it.  

Back to your point the 4,000 MW demand forecast does not include assumptions in EEC.  Why, because the PJM, our regions grid oversight authority, says they can't rely on assumptions at this time because EEC has been decreasing in its usage w/i the powergrid.  Imagine that - since 1996, EEC has fallen off by 40%!

But don't forget, Dominion's new line exports the equivalent of another ~3,000 MW to New Jersey by 2012, and 485 MW Mirant coal-plant in Alexandria will probably retire before or at that time.  Wise is supposed to come online by that time coincidentally.

And to linkup our other discussion in my other diary you replied to, this is exactly the problem the EU is facing.  Even though they are making clear headway with renewables, they will fail to meet their forecasted 10% RPS by 2010 because there hasn't been any conservation.  Its a dissappointment, look here

One reason for the shortfall is that the growth in renewable energy is struggling to compete with a growth in energy demand...That led Jean-Louis Bal, EU's director of Renewable Energies and Energy Networks and Markets, to declare that "the efforts being made for (renewable energy) development ... are not accompanied by any real effort to conserve energy."

High growth, limited & unknown quantities of reliable renewables in the mid-Atlantic accessible to Virginians - see why we have only a "recommended" 12% by 2022.  Virginia has to go EEC, nuclear, CCS and off-shore wind until the future finds other alternatives.  When we get there, the RPS % will change.

The best new power plant, is the one that doesn't cost any money.  Energy Efficiency and Conservation!  The cheapest, the cleaniest, and the most readily avaiable resource available to meet consumer demand.  

"Topping the list of strategy to advance EEC is education (1st page right column).  

For instance, see here ("Poll shows 93 percent want state to save more power in Washington State").

Or how about this?

"In order to cut down on energy consumption and reduce global-warming, do you favor or oppose requiring car manufacturers to produce cars that are more energy efficient?"

  Favor Oppose Unsure  
    % %   %  
4/20-24/07 92 6 2

Also, see here:

Preferred Approach To Handle Energy Needs
Conservation 56%
Fossil Fuel / Nuclear Production 35

In short, there's strong support among Americans for energy efficiency and also for conservation.

a skeptic here.  Addressing the issue in a poll is completely different than those poll takers actually using less energy.  When it comes to turning off most of the lights in their house, turning the thermostat up/down (depending on season, of course), spending money on newer EE appliances, and so on, I think we'll be looking at a drastically different outcome than the polls indicate.

SAY they support energy efficiency and conservation.  The job of the government is to provide incentives and disincentives to help translate this sentiment into action.

I live in affluent Northern Virginia.  And I am taking the steps to make my home more energy efficient all by myself.  It does not cost bundles of money to upgrade insulation in your house; they can even blow it into walls.  It is quite expensive to get the most efficient A/C unit and furnace; but median income in Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington is so high that it should not be an issue.  I don't know what the government can do if people refuse to take action over something they "support."  We're not talking about quantum physics, it is not difficult for people to be the change they want to see in the world in this regard.

We do have assistance programs for low-income people as well.  As I recall, if you have an FHA loan, you could up the value of the loan to pay for energy efficiency improvements.  The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development administers the Weatherization Assistance Program grants.  In VA, that is about $3.5 mill allocated from DOE and according to the state's DSS site we allocate 15% of our LIHEAP grant.  I don't know if that is enough money or if their is enough communication to low-income people about these programs.  But this is the job we entrust our governor with when he prepares and submits a budget.  If it's not enough, it is government administrators' jobs to provide us that information.  

if you lead with the question do you favor EEC, of course people will so say.  However, if you were to check and see what steps they have taken, you'll find its quite the contrary.  

Once again, the #1 goal of Kaine's Virginia Energy Plan is EEC and topping the list of strategies to meet this goal, is education!  

New power plants and new transmission lines, etc (aka grid expansion) is primarily driven by increases in peak demand.  This normally occurs 10 to 15 times during the summer, b/n 2 and 6pm.  The primary attribute to the spikes in peak demand is attributed to the high usage of a/c.  Its that simple.  

Right now, EEC needs to attack a/c management to provide utilities the ability to control their load during the times during those 10-15 days out of the year, thus decrease the need for grid expansion.  The problem is, nobody does and they think that if they do, they'll be inconvenienced but they are uneducated on the matter.

Walk the talk and get a smart switch for your a/c unit.  In electric co-ops in VA they have been available since 1979.  There's no sacrifice, but you can't even tell the difference. If you are a DVP customer, contact them to be one of the 8,000 participants in their new pilot program.  Petition your local gov't to enact the same on all gov't facilities and operations (rented property or owned).  The impact of a/c load management on a wide scale can have just as much impact as hybrid plug-ins and CFL's as far as C02 and reduce grid expansion like in the case of Wise County.  (Should I post a diary on this specific topic?)