According to HUD, as many as 26 percent of housing authority evictions are because people cannot pay their energy bills. This statistic covers the entire nation, but Virginians are certainly among the casualties. High energy costs don't just hurt the poorest Americans, they stretch the budgets of nearly all Americans, forcing us to invest less, save less, and spend less on other essentials of life. Not only does high-cost energy threaten our economy, it also causes severe air pollution. Virginia has problems with air pollution even in less-populated areas downstate. This endangers the health of nearly every resident of the Commonwealth. Another energy-related issue is global warming. As climate change intensifies, Virginia likely will face more flooding and hurricanes of increased ferocity. Instead of doing something about it, our President has chosen to censor warnings from top scientists at NASA and the National Academy of Science and to cut the budget for energy efficiency and renewable enery. Meanwhile, those in the clean and renewable energy industries are working harder than ever pursuing solutions to these problems, despite a lack of federal government support.
Unlike our President, the clean and renewable energy industries are preparing a better future for America, cutting long-term energy costs and reducing the need to fight wars for dwindling energy resources. Clean, renewable off-grid power will keep the lights on during a storm. Energy efficient technology will provide consumers with superior energy-saving products. Clean air will keep your children healthy and cause fewer trips to the doctor. Fewer greenhouse gas emissions will reduce the impacts of climate change.
Unfortunately, here in Virginia, the revolution of clean energy has gotten off to a slow start. In our state, for example, we only get 6% of our electricity from clean, renewable technologies (and over 95% of that is hydro-electric power). On the bright side, off-grid renewable energy development is now being utilized across Northern Virginia. In Arlington, you see solar panels popping up along our freeways and along our streets and parks. Solar panels can be found at the Pentagon, the Quincy Street Technology Center, and Potomac Overlook Park, among other places. Arlington gets some of its power from a wind farm in West Virginia, and possibly in the future from a wind farm near the Shenandoah Valley.
WHAT ELSE SHOULD BE DONE IN VIRGINIA?
Virginia is currently reliant on power from natural gas and coal. Natural gas prices are going through the roof as supplies become more constrained. Each year, more natural gas is imported from overseas, including the Middle East. Coal remains a dirty technology, and although the President likes to tout "clean coal", the developments of realistically "low-emissions" coal plants are more than a decade away, and prohibitively expensive with current technology. Therefore, during the time it takes to develop "clean coal", Virginia utilities should dramatically increase production of solar, wind, and biomass. Virginians should utilize off-grid resources to power homes and businesses, including solar panels in the summer months and geothermal heat pumps in the winter. These technologies can power homes and business even when the grid goes out.
Attempts to build large-scale offshore wind farms in the Chesapeake Bay have thus far been thwarted, but plans remain to use our plentiful wind resources in an environmentally safe way. Wind farms in the Chesapeake are far safer for our environment and public health than offshore oil drilling. The production of bio-fuels could benefit Virginia farmers, and a burgeoning solar industry could help Southwest Virginia.
I want to stress that clean coal is not necessarily a bad idea. It should absolutely be part of our future energy development. However, this does not mean we should hold off on renewables and energy efficiency while the clean coal industry takes time to develop. If clean coal is to succeed, however, the coal industry will need to act aggressively. The citizens of Southwest Virginia, whose lives have been built by the coal industry, deserve no less.
Finally, we need to expand energy efficiency technology. There is no reason not to expand the development and use of advanced, energy saving technologies that benefit the American consumer, clean up their air, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and lower energy costs.
Our current energy costs are way to high, and they're going higher. Would you buy today's cell phones, computers, or televisions if they were as expensive as when they originally came out? Of course not! The only reason we pay more for our energy is because we have no choice, and because utilities have no incentive to reduce energy costs. That is NOT free market capitalism, it is monopolized pricing. Energy efficient technologies allow our citizens to save energy and money, boosting the economy. Think of it as a technologically-advanced tax cut.
By the way, the energy efficiency industry can be developed anywhere. All across Virginia, communities could build plants and factories that produce energy efficient light bulbs, windows, or refrigerators. We could build green buildings in Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. We could create entire industries devoted to retrofitting trucks with engines that are more fuel-efficient and burn fuel cleanlier. Virginia farmers could become a leader in clean fuel development. This could benefit everyone.
Development of energy efficiency and renewable power is already being done in other states, at great benefit to the public. In Virginia, large-scale energy programs like these would result in dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, vast energy savings, new jobs, economic development in rural counties, and long-term improvements in public health. What we need are advocates in the state government. When you hear a leader speak about providing for families in Virginia, ask them why they can't draft legislation to lower our energy costs through innovative technologies. Ask them when we are going to see Virginia start leading in 21st century technologies. Remind them that Virginia is the birthplace of our nation and the home to great innovators like Thomas Jefferson. Today, we need to go "back to the future," for Virginia to be bold, brave, and forward thinking, just like Thomas Jefferson. What do we have to lose?
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Mini powerplants are going to be the investment of the near future.
If you havent already seen it, I urge everyone to read "Natural Capitalism" by Paul Hawken and Amory & Hunter Lovins. It is an eye-opening look into the power of resource efficiency. It shows us how saving resources and using clean energy technology can not only save us money and protect the environment, but also create thousands of jobs and put this country back on the right track. Check it out!
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-Alec
For years the seventh ran from Louisa or Goochland up to Charlottesville and then to Winchester, and the Third was centered on Richmond. Starting with the 1992 election the Third was moved east of richmond while the seventh ran from Charlottesville to heavy presence in richmond (then represented by Tom Bliley in the old 3rd).
Given that Allen would not have beaten Tom Bliley in a primary, and that the new 10th (which took in the balance of the old seventh) also had an entrenched GOP congressman, Allen looked for another opportunity.,,which lead to our present situation