I just got off a conference call with the Virginia Sierra Club (Glen Besa and Ivy Main), the topic being the release of their new report, "Power Failure - How Virginia is Losing the Competition For Clean Energy Jobs." The Sierra Club's press release is after the "flip," but here are a few quick notes from the call.*Virginia is way behind other states in clean energy and energy efficiency, due to a failure of leadership by Bob McDonnell and also previous governors. *Other mid-Atlantic states are ahead of us in clean energy incentives and jobs. *If "Bob's for Jobs" really wants to create jobs, the single best thing he could do right now would be to invest in energy efficiency. For every $1 invested in energy efficiency, we get $2 back. *There are huge opportunities for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Virginia, but we don't have the incentives needed to get there. *A well-crafted Renewable Portfolio Standard would be a superb tool for reaching our goals. Right now, Virginia has a voluntary RPS that is basically worthless. We need a real, mandatory RPS. *Part of why this administration, and previous administrations, have failed is their close ties to Dominion VA Power, and the disproportionate influence Dominion and other utilities have on Virginia politics. *Coal is not the future. In fact, coal mining employment has plummeted in Virginia, thanks to mechanized forms of mining like "mountaintop removal." Also, "If coal's so great, than why is southwestern Virginia so poor?" |
lowkell :: VA Sierra Club Releases Report on "How Virginia is Losing the Competition For Clean Energy" |
Sierra Club report finds Virginia left behind, losing to East Coast states in realizing clean energy future[Richmond, VA] - The Sierra Club today issued a report entitled Power Failure - How Virginia is Losing the Competition For Clean Energy Jobs, that contrasts Virginia's actions and incentives promoting energy efficiency and clean energy with the efforts of neighboring states. |