RK ARCHIVE - Gov. Kaine confronted in Wytheville

Kaine was, however, confronted by half a dozen questioners or commenters, who dramatically made the case against the Dominion plant. Most significantly, Kathy Selvege of Wise confronted the Governor about the two upcoming Air Board appointments. She urged him to look into his heart and make the best fair appointments.
On the way out of the meeting I reminded the Governor of Kathy's comments. He said "Look at my appointments. I don't make bad appointments." Those of us who have been struggling to be heard by Secretary Pierce Homer might not take much comfort in that assurance.

I petitioned him to ask the Air Board to hold a hearing in one of the counties immediately DOWNWIND of the plant--the people of Washington, Smyth, Grayson, Wythe, Carroll, Pulaski, Bland and beyond have not had a hearing near them. With the tall stacks and prevailing westerly winds it is people in these counties that will suffer the respiratory and circulatory diseases spewed from a Dominion stack, just as we already do the filth from AEP's Carbo plant, just 5 miles east of the proposed Dominion site.

A dozen signs opposing the Dominion plant and mountaintop removal and pleaing for conservation as an alternative, lined the wall of the meeting hall. Other opponents, not called upon by the Governor, submitted their comments to the staff after the meeting.

Comments

This is where Kaine's famed "optimism" (Lowell - 3/26/2008 10:32:53 AM)

hurts his judgment:

"Carbon sequestration research is well under way and he is confident that it will deliver a viable method, he claimed."

Yes, carbon sequestration may well "deliver a viable method" -- some day. But that day is most likely a long, LONG way into the future. In the meantime, coal-fired power plants will continue spewing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the very same time that we need to be SLASHING our greenhouse gas emissions by 90%.

There's nothing to be "confident" or optimistic about here, Governor.

The state doesn't really need the capacity from Wise County (floodguy - 3/26/2008 11:22:14 AM)

If it wasn't for the encouragement by the feds for interstate transmission, load model forecasts would not have predicted capacity issues in our state's southern subgrid.

With the proposed solution of two 500kv lines for the replacement of the retiring seven power plants in DC and NJ, the state's north subgrid wouldn't have reliability red flags by 2011 & 2012 as forecasted.

The generation from power plants being shutdown in the northeast, isn't being replaced in those states. It too hard to get new power plants built in that region because of higher RPS and efficiency goals and tougher clean air laws, and public outcry.

Instead of the feds flexing its muscles towards those states to replace the retiring generation and meet their own power needs, the fed has adopted a policy which incentivizes interstate transmission from other states, and aims to flex its muscle on these states if they refuse! Why, because generation policy and air quality in those states is lower, allowing for less regulatory hurdles which decreases power plant construction costs.

Ironically, in 2005 the National Electric Regulatory Commission believed Virginia's demand was in control and capacity was of no concern. Excess capacity existed in the state's north grid, two new gas generation was proposed in the central VA, additional baseline generation from nuclear alittle farther down the road, new 765kv line in SW Virginia was just completed, and a SmartGrid was just around the corner.

This all changed when the Energy Policy Act of 2005 brought forth the national transmission corridor. If people and the state of Virginia don't like the transmission policy, tough luck - the federal gov't will use its power and take the land through eminent domain if the state doesn't agree. This is why Dominion Power has no plan B for the 500kv line Northern Virginia.

With the two 500kv line proposed in Northern Va by 2011 and 2012, the cascading affect of load weight extends southward where supply is available. Enter Wise County and its proposed 2012 completion date. And if Wise County is not completed, there's no Plan B, because Dominion already knows it getting the plant, which is why they are already investing money to prep the site well before it is even approved!

Reach across the aisle, make concessions and build support, just like you want Barack Obama to do when he becomes president. If we can't do it, why should we expect our leaders to?

Thank you, you got it! (floodguy - 3/26/2008 12:41:22 PM)

Locally, the vast majority of opponents against the powerline are led by "conservatives" and those who favored Dominion's powerline proposal were mostly more "liberal". This was certainly true early on and has since moved slightly. The exact opposite can be said with Wise County. I can't understand the existance of the differences in opinion, other than the location.

Yes, its true, this sort of split exists in other national problems, which is why Obama has identified the need to melt the two sides together with new leadership. McCain is trying his best, but Clinton certainly has no capacity to do so, in my opinion.

Agree, I left off Mirant's plant off that post but I have stated many times, the city of Alexandria is more than likely the cause for what is going to happen to Wise County; no different than what NYC, NJ, MD, DEL and D.C. is doing to Virginia, OH, western PA & OH; and what southern California is trying to do to the state of Arizona.

Also take note of the majority political views of the constituencies in each "targeted" location, as well as the location demanding power. NYC, MD, DE, NJ, D.C., CA & city of Alexandria are all fairly blue voting places correct? While AZ and VA are certainly more red or at the least, purple.

Its not to say these blue voting areas have bad energy policies, in fact one might argue they have better state's policies then the red, but we are a nation; and unfortunately, this Dept of Energy has been slow and narrow-minded and can't recognize the flaw it has given us.

Bad federal policy allow more energy conscious states to take advantage of those states less energy conscious, only because these state were never really in a power crunch and hadn't develop laws to prevent the same.

Move unwanted sources of pollution and C02 along with its coming expensive price tag, and put it where there is less energy consciousness. Without question, we are getting hosed.

Generation policy is stated controlled, while transmission is regionally controlled. I like the notion of RPS butfrom day one I have opposed state's RPS, preferring regional RPS which would be more in snyc with transmission planning. Even the DOE's Ass't Sec of OE, Kolevar, stated (and that was just the other day), the only thing that could usurp this transmission policy, is if neighboring states collectively came to their own power generating agreements.

Hopefully Kaine (D) and McDonnell (R) appealing against the DOE at the U.S. Court of Appeals will bring attention and a coming together of the left and the right in our state.

Thanks again