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Moran and McDonnell Snub UVA-Wise Energy Technology Summit

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Does this sound like something a Virginia gubernatorial candidate in the year 2009 might want to attend or what?
Clean coal technologies, fusion energy, natural gas, utility-derived coal fly ash utilization, solar energy, bio-energy and new electric-powered cars and natural gas-powered trucks are just a part of the 2009 Energy Technology Summit to be held April 27 on the campus of The University of Virginia’s College at Wise.
Sure sounds like it, huh? Especially considering that all of them were strongly urged to attend.
The summit sponsors have invited the state’s four gubernatorial candidates to conclude the conference in the belief that energy policy should be discussed in the region where carbon-based energy has been produced for the past 100 years.

Each candidate for governor should step forward and make their schedule clear to attend the energy technology summit in remote southwestern Virginia and answer energy-related questions where hundreds of jobs are at stake.

Which is why this surprised me.
An afternoon gubernatorial energy policy forum will include two of the four major candidates for Virginia governor in a discussion exclusively devoted to energy and energy technology policies. Democrats Terry McAuliffe and Creigh Deeds have committed to attend and address the policy issues. Energy has been a major policy issue in the 2009 statewide gubernatorial campaigns.
So, Terry McAuliffe and Creigh Deeds are going to attend this event, but no sign of Brian Moran or Bob McDonnell? Now why on earth could that possibly be? I mean, wouldn't you think those guys would want to go and discuss the Wise County coal-fired power plant, which both of them supported? Wouldn't you think that Brian Moran and Bob McDonnell would want to talk about the wonders of "cleaner coal" and how Virginia is the "Saudi Arabia of coal," right there in the coalfields of southwestern Virginia? It's puzzling, I mean there's so much to talk about! Ha. :)

P.S. Maybe Brian Moran might want to explain why he doesn't have any regrets about voting FOR the Wise County coal-fired power plant?