Virginia's Energy Plan

Moment of media glory taken, false aura of bipartisanship created, and illusion of suddenly caring about alternative energy thrown up, it was time for the Bush administration to quietly recant. Barely 20 hours later, his energy secretary told us America that he "didn't mean it literally". Well, Bush lied about something. I know I was gasping in shock, but since it wasn't over an intern and had to do with actual policy (be it energy, or war, or the godforsaken Constitution), it doesn't matter.

I digress.

I sincerely hope no one is relying on Bush to do something about energy. Anyone that does needs to have their rose-colored glasses thrown into a rose-colored bonfire. That being said, states are taking matters into their own hands. On the issue of global warming, for example, nine Northeastern states have agreed to cut down carbon emissions. Back here in Virginia, the General Assembly is mulling over an energy plan of its own. Senator Frank Wagner (R) has introduced SB 262, drawing up a Virginia Energy Policy and directing various state agencies to implement the plan.

Author H.L. Mencken once wrote, "For every problem, there is a solution that is neat, simple, and utterly wrong." By no means perfect, and perhaps utterly wrong in portions, the Virginia Energy Plan is a good start, and should be implemented regardless of whether Bush decides to let the issue vanish off the radar screen or propose some half-hearted plan. The Commonwealth Energy Policy would have 11 planks:

1. Support research and development of, and promote the use of, renewable energy sources;

2. Ensure that the combination of energy supplies and energy-saving systems are sufficient to support the demands of economic growth;

3. Promote research and development of clean coal technologies, including but not limited to integrated gasification combined cycle systems;

4. Promote cost-effective conservation of energy and fuel supplies;

5. Ensure the availability of affordable natural gas throughout the Commonwealth by expanding Virginia's natural gas distribution and transmission pipeline infrastructure; developing coalbed methane and offshore gas resources, including methane hydrate resources; encouraging the productive use of landfill gas; and siting one or more liquefied natural gas terminals;

6. Promote the generation of electricity through nuclear power and other technologies that do not contribute to greenhouse gases and global warming;

7. Study the removal of regulatory impediments to the development and exploitation of the Commonwealth's uranium resources;

8. Facilitate the development of new, and the expansion of existing, petroleum refining facilities within the Commonwealth;

9. Promote the use of motor vehicles that utilize alternate fuels and are highly energy efficient;

10. Support efforts to reduce the demand for imported petroleum by developing alternative technologies, including but not limited to the production of synthetic fuels, biodiesel and hydrogen-based fuels, and the infrastructure required for the widespread implementation of such technologies; and

11. Ensure that energy generation and delivery systems that may be approved for development in the Commonwealth, including liquefied natural gas, offshore gas drilling, and related delivery and storage systems, should be located so as to minimize impacts to pristine natural areas and other significant onshore natural resources, and as near to compatible development as possible.

Overall, it sounds like a good plan. While everyone hates high gas prices, and a lack of refinery capacity is being blamed on the squeeze, new oil refineries in Virginia are not the answer. Oil companies are perfectly happy with their record high profits, and are ready and willing to blame envirronmentalists and neighbors attacking the refinery down the street for all of America's economic ills. At heart, I do not feel that oil companies really want prices to drop too far. They have a stake in this, obviously.

That being said, there are some very broad, fuzzy-good sounding ideas in here. There is a section, however, that raises my eyebrows. As you might have caught, there is a plank about offshore drilling. Chapter 3 of the act is devoted to this, directing once again that Virginia seek ways to exempt itself from the federal moratorium on offshore natural gas drilling. Governor Warner vetoed a similar measure last year on more or less technical legal grounds. While not directly addressing the issue of offshore drilling in his veto, the veto was nevertheless sustained by the Virginia Senate 20-16.

The vetoed measure was shot down on the grounds that it unconstitutionally encroached, by directing the Virginia Liason Office to lobby Congress, on the powers of the Governor, and on account of the fact that legislation on such a moratorium was not in existence yet. The new bill simply states that Virginia have a policy encouraging this, directiong no agency to lobby Congress. This plan, thankfully for those of us opposed to poking holes off Virginia Beach, has absolutely no solvency. Simply stating it is the "policy of the commonwealth" and directing an annual report to be prepared does squat to pass a bill through Congress, but seeing as to how I am opposed to the concept of offshore oil exploration, I'm happy.

The other minor technicality (such a bill does not exist yet) is, to my knowledge, still in effect. There are, however, bills in Congress that make the moratorium on offshore drilling permanent, all specific to certain areas of the country. The Florida delegation is behind HR 3251, the Great Lakes has HR 2390, and the New Jersey delegation has sponsored identical bills in the House and Senate (S 878 and HR 1978) that apply to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (including Virginia). All these bills have sat awaiting action for months in subcommittee, and it seems doubtful they will come up for a vote. Nevertheless, I feel that continuing to focus on oil and gas (especially while drilling off Virginia's shorelines) is a waste.

There is also a waste of time provided in the section on "clean coal", which to me is an oxymoron. Coal should be even more of an anachronism than oil. The recent mining disasters, and West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin's emergency halting of coal mining in the state shows that it is a risky fuel to mine, and for our planet, riskier to burn.

There are, however, good provisions to this bill. New government buildings and renovations would be required to have some form of renewable energy. Money is appropriated for research into solar, wind, biodiesel, and tidal energy (an energy form often overlooked), and Virginia expresses its support for increasing CAFE standards.

Coastal energy is a catch-all term for energy solutions that rely on thermal difference, tidal waves, offshore winds, and other ocean-related forms. Turbines that exploit the movements of tides, while available only when the tides are changing, have been experimented with, but ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) intrigues me the most. OTEC exploits the difference in temperature between depths of water and has been demonstrated in Hawaii.

While this energy plan is far from a solution, it sends out some good, but flawed, gestures. It's time the Virginia General Assembly took matters into their own hands, because it has become clear Congress will not act for us.

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