The Governor was on the WTOP radio again today fielding questions on the 'Ask The Governor' program. As has been the case for the last three months running now, one of the lead questions from a caller was about the Wise County Coal plant.
Cathy Greene of Vienna asked the Governor:
Will you reconsider support for dominion coal plant in Wise County now that the SCC has ruled that it is not carbon capture compatible, and considering that the Fairfax Board of Supervisors passed a resolution against it?
Kaine then proceeded to give his stock response
Kaine: Legislature supported the plant and no one asked me to step in then...SCC and DEQ hold the permitting power, yada yada... permits are not given by Gov or the GA. If it meets laws, I think it should be permitted. VA and the nation gets 48% from coal, that needs to get smaller. We need to get cleaner and close the dirty coal plants. There is virtue to [Dominon's] proposal. It has to meet the laws and regs.
Wait, there is 'virtue' to Dominion's Wise County Coal plant proposal?!?!? Did the Governor actually just say that? Virtue, by definition means: the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. So what about Dominion's plans are virtuious? Is it the 49 pounds (give or take) of mercury? The global warming? The guaranteed profit? The mountain top removal? The net loss of Virginia jobs?
Another question followed Cathy's: Are you confident that the SCC has the power to make the decision without Dominion Power to tell them what to do?
Kaine: Yes. I proposed a conservation bill last week and everyone opposed it, environmentalists and industry. The SCC has the power to do good things. SCC is neutral, they are not subject to elections.
Ed. Note, the Bill (SB 596) would have helped encourage energy efficiency and conservation, but it also would have taken only allowed public utilities to submit evidence to the SCC -- e.g. the public would have been cut out of the entire process. It would have set a very bad precident.
Follow up question: When electricity was deregulated power was gutted from the SCC.
Kaine: But the reregulation bill gave the SCC the power back.
To sum up the conversation (and please keep in mind, I am editorializing a lot and have only taken out the more salient parts of their conversations. Please listen to the piece online if you want to hear the complete deal), Kaine Says: Dominion is Virtuious and so are their plans and the SCC is all powerful.
Just another day in the office for Governor Kaine.
If Kaine is never allowed to change his stance, why isn't he still fighting to keep the abusive driver fees? Weren't we all happy he changed his mind on that one?