Author: caaver

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

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The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for December 2023, Part II

Editor’s Note: This is the final installment in our regular series. This piece highlights, with links to further coverage in various media outlets, several recent environmental news stories and opinions of significance to Virginia, with a focus on energy and the environment.

CAAV has been pleased to provide these roundups and hopes to produce occasional updates. In this, our final edition of this series, begun in spring 2020, we bring you only a fraction of the encouraging and discouraging news in our state this month. Some items are mundane, some are technical; some affect many, and some only a few – but these, and other stories too numerous to include, are part of our common reality. Thank you for reading.

We hope you will continue to seek out news and opinion pieces to help you understand what’s happening in Virginia. The “Check out” section (below) has a list of many of the news outlets that offer so much invaluable information and on which we have relied. Most are available for free. Please consider reading and supporting the efforts of their reporters and editors and allow them to inform you further on the many subjects we’ve covered in this series, as well as those in which you have particular interest. CAAV will continue to produce the monthly Climate News Roundup. Find it here. You may also wish to read The Friendly City Urbanist, written by a Harrisonburg resident. It’s focused on local, state, and national topics relating to land use, housing, climate, and transportation. You can subscribe to the email newsletter or simply read it online without subscribing.

We hope these words by an opinion writer and associate professor of New Testament will resonate:

“Humans and the world we inhabit are interconnected. We have consistently put our needs above those of our neighbors and the planet we inhabit, and the fire, water, wind and snow now cry out in rebuke…. Nature simply reveals the wounds that we inflict upon it. Creation bears witness…. The year 2023 was nature’s testimony that something is profoundly broken. The year 2024 — and beyond — will show whether we loved anyone beyond ourselves enough to listen. Our children will bear the weight of our response.”

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote: “I honor the human race.” When it faces life head-on, it can almost remake itself.” For all our sakes, we trust that humanity will prove her correct.

Energy

Regulations, Legislation and Utilities

“A plan to double the size of a natural gas pipeline in Hampton Roads now has approval from regulators despite opposition from environmental groups. The expansion, called the Virginia Reliability Project, would dig up, replace and double the size of two sections, or about 48 miles, of Columbia Gas pipeline between Chesapeake and Petersburg.” “This month, the state’s Marine Resources Commission issued a wetlands permit for the project, although 175 Virginia residents submitted comments, all in opposition. The Virginia Reliability Project calls for constructing compressor stations and expanding a gas line which has been operating since the 1950s with a larger-diameter pipeline. … [The] general counsel and deputy director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network said the project does not line up with Virginia’s climate goals, and a report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission appeared to confirm it. In the final Environmental Impact Statement that FERC has to issue, it clearly said, ‘This project will increase Virginia’s climate emissions by 2%…’”. [Legal] action is being considered to halt the project.” (See opinion piece below.)

“Federal energy regulators last week approved a three-year extension for Mountain Valley Pipeline to build a planned 75-mile offshoot of its main natural gas pipeline that would run from Pittsylvania County to North Carolina. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] gave Mountain Valley until June 18, 2026 to complete the Southgate extension, despite complaints that the project would cause air and water pollution and is not necessary…. When FERC approved the offshoot in 2020, it made that approval conditional on Mountain Valley receiving the necessary permits for the mainline.”

Data Centers and Energy Storage

“Prince William County’s professional planning staff has once again recommended against approving the Prince William Digital Gateway — rezoning applications that seek to open 1,760 acres just north of the Manassas National Battlefield Park to as many as 37 new data centers. The county’s planning staff made a similar recommendation to the Prince William County Planning Commission …, which voted after an all-night hearing to recommend denial of the rezonings tied to the project. But since the Planning Commission has only an advisory role, the rezonings were … sent to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors….” The Board narrowly approved the project for what could be the largest data center corridor after hearing from “nearly 400 people [who] weighed in during an often-heated 27‑hour‑long meeting….” “Now that Digital Gateway has been approved, [one question is] what’s next for the massive data center project?” The Board’s decision may be challenged in court. The developer still needs to acquire some of the land. It needs to plan for project rollouts and for infrastructure improvements it promised to deliver. The timetable is, at present, “murky.”

“The Culpeper County Board of Supervisors approved another 1.4 million of data center square footage … on pastureland … part of the county’s heavily-marketed McDevitt Drive Technology Zone. A REC substation on-site will serve the development along with large backup generators, with self-contained fuel units, according to developers…. Three other data center projects are also in the works in this area and a fourth, an Amazon site, is planned….”

“A lawsuit seeking to invalidate Warrenton Town Council’s vote to approve the controversial Amazon data center can go forward — at least in part…. The two counts that … [the judge] said could move forward are procedural in nature and attack the validity of the town’s zoning text amendment that allows data centers to obtain a special use permit to build in industrial zones….” 

“Dominion Energy has flipped the switch on what’s so far its largest batterybank, the latest step in its increasingly fast-paced move to install electricity storage facilities on its grid. The now-operational Dry Bridge Battery Energy Storage System in Chesterfield County can store up to 20 megawatts of electricity for four hours. That’s enough to power 5,000 homes. Batteries have become a necessity as the utility adds solar and offshore wind turbines to its system.”

Renewable Energy

“The federal government is pitching Virginia on loan opportunities to help pay for the state’s transition to renewables, saying federal funding can reduce the financial burden passed on to ratepayers. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office said loans are available to cover up to 80% of the costs of projects that convert fossil fuel generation sources to renewables, install transmission upgrades and develop offshore wind or small modular nuclear reactors and their related supply chains.”

“The United States Department of the Interior … announced the proposal for the sale of an offshore wind lease off the Atlantic Coast, including one area about 35 nautical miles from the shores of Hampton Roads. According to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the sale will include an area off the coast of Maryland and Delaware in addition to the area in Virginia.… According to the proposed lease, the agreement would allow for a project to generate energy using wind turbine generators and … includes any offshore substation platforms, inner array cables and subsea export cables. If approved, the operating lease for the Virginia site would last 33 years. The two areas have the potential to power more than 2.2 million homes.”

“As other wind projects stall, Virginia’s approach keeps Dominion’s on track…. [Research and engineering analyses] gave Dominion the confidence to bid $1.6 million in 2013 to win a federal offshore wind farm lease — the stretch of the Atlantic 25 miles from the Virginia Beach Oceanfront where it’s now on track to complete a 176-turbine wind farm. Dominion is taking delivery of the first of the 176 giant steel tubes — 292 feet long, 1,500 tons — that will anchor its turbines in waters up to 125 feet deep. The project is on schedule and on budget, according to filings with the State Corporation Commission. At the same time, some developers in other states are dropping wind projects or recognizing big accounting losses — $5 billion so far — because costs are looking to exceed revenue. A New Jersey project is dead. New York state is reopening its auctions for wind power firms trying to nail down higher prices for their power.” Dominion believes its model differs from those in other East Coast states and will succeed.

“Unfounded claims about offshore wind threatening whales have surfaced as a flashpoint in the fight over the future of renewable energy. In recent months, conservatives … have claimed construction of offshore wind turbines is killing the giant animals. Scientists say there is no credible evidence linking offshore wind farms to whale deaths…. In Europe, where offshore wind has been developed for more than three decades, national agencies also have not found causal links between wind farms and whale deaths. Meanwhile, U.S. scientists are collecting data near offshore wind farms to monitor any possible impacts short of fatality, such as altered behavior or changes to migration routes. This research is still in preliminary stages….”

Even so, “a pair of organizations has filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue letter against the [Dominion] Virginia Offshore Wind Project …. [The] two organizations are filing with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [BOEM] and the National Marine Fisheries Service the letter for a violation of the Endangered Species Act [ESA]. The notice is required by the … [ESA] for parties who wish to commence litigation against BOEM. The lawsuit stems from what the two groups say is a failure to provide adequate protection of the North Atlantic right whale and other endangered species.” (See opinion piece below.)

Have you heard of “solar grazing”? In Virginia, it’s “sheep … [working] year-round to ‘lamb-scape’ Virginia solar farms…. It’s part of a larger movement called agrivoltaics, or using land simultaneously for agriculture and solar energy. The concept’s pretty simple. Solar farms need to keep vegetation short, so it won’t interfere with the panels. Instead of paying someone to mow the grass, a solar farm operator can hire shepherds….”

Through an unusual conversion of an aged former school building as a pilot project, “Pulaski County’s green era [will combine]: a vertical farm, solar panels and green manufacturing. Pulaski … added a methane conversion plant and a focus on green manufacturing in an effort to market itself as a green, ‘solar friendly’ locality.”

“A new Richmond co-op [organized by the national nonprofit Solar United Neighbors] increases [the] region’s solar options…. [The] Richmond-based co-op [helps participants buy] … solar panels and EV chargers [at a discount]… Right now, solar in the Old Dominion can power over a half-million homes — and it’s growing. … {The] commonwealth ranks 10th in the nation for installed solar capacity and is projected to be among the top 10 for new project installations during the next five years.”

Transportation

“Over 350 members of Valley Interfaith Action [(VIA) recently] took “the next step” in hopes of bringing transportation and childcare to the area …, with the help of a $50,000 grant from Sentara and two confirmed yes votes from county supervisors. VIA is a “broad-based, non-partisan, multi-issue” organization made up of faith-based, immigrant, neighborhood and other associations. After holding a listening campaign in 2022, the group has been campaigning to bring door-to-door demand response transit to Rockingham County and affordable childcare with teachers who are paid a living wage…. [The] recent … [event brought together VIA] members to advocate for demand response transit [in Rockingham County] and two new affordable childcare centers … [and] to have a conversation to work toward the vision.”

 “Albemarle County’s free, on-demand transit service, still in its pilot stage, is off to a strong start. Seven weeks since its inception, the Charlottesville Area Transit’s MicroCAT fleet of six vans has provided more than 1,000 rides to riders traveling within Pantops and the U.S. 29 corridor…. The MicroCAT service operates from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is free of charge…. It’s designed to help cover regions of the county that are underserved by public transit, allowing people to connect to bus stops or take them directly to certain destinations. ‘This new low-emission pilot program will improve public options in Albemarle County with technology to expand access to flexible, equitable and sustainable transportation,’ … [the] chair of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, told a crowd at the program’s ribbon-cutting back in October.”

“Roanoke’s Valley Metro to expand with microtransit service” through a pilot program that will allow customers to call for Sunday service.

“An infusion of $2 million in federal funding will study improvements to passenger rail in Virginia and beyond, encompassing routes that would include the New River Valley.” “$500,000 [of the funding is] earmarked for additional study of Bristol rail route.” “Virginia has awakened to a cool new railroad set under its holiday tree. It includes multiple trains to run between Washington, D.C., and stations in Henrico County and downtown Richmond. It has tracks east to Norfolk and Newport News and west to Roanoke and the New River Valley and maybe Bristol. The set even includes tracks to run fast trains from Richmond to Raleigh, N.C., a state capital-to-capital connection that would take about 75 minutes less time than it does now. Sounds swell, but now Virginia has to assemble it all so the trains reach their destination on time.”

 “In the realm of railroads, Charlottesville may be the little city that could, as three federal grants announced … [recently] appear to move Charlottesville closer to more daily trains and something that’s not been seen in 47 years: a direct rail connection to Richmond and Tidewater.” “There are a few more hurdles to clear before a new passenger rail stop can open in Christiansburg. The stop, first promised in 2021, has had a completion date set for some time in 2025, and while there’s nothing to suggest that timeframe is out-of-reach, officials are still awaiting design plans before they choose a location for the stop.” (See opinion piece below.)

“Electric vehicles are gaining popularity in Virginia, but sales are unlikely to meet the looming state mandate, based on the current trajectory. EVs accounted for 9% of all new vehicles sold in the state in the first eight months of 2023, according to a new report from the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association. That’s a big increase from the 6% share of the market EVs held in 2022 and the 3% they held in 2021. They have a long way to go. According to a state mandate, all new vehicles sold in Virginia must be fully electric by 2035, a policy set by California that’s often derided by Republicans here. [Based] “on the current trajectory, it does not appear Virginia will reach the mandate set by the California Air Resources Board…. [Nonetheless,] Virginia auto dealers are investing big money in EVs [though some wonder] Is it worth it?”

Climate and Environment

Chesapeake Bay, Wildlife, Water and Land

“Tangier Island sits in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay between the Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck of Virginia, accessible only by boat or a small plane…. But for … residents …, it’s a race against Mother Nature. Coastal erosion is one part of the equation, sea level rise is another. Whether it’s a nor’easter or tropical storm, four to five times a year more and more of the island gets inundated. Since 1850, Tangier Island has lost two-thirds of its landmass and surrounding neighbors.” “A possible engineering solution would be to build a seawall around the entire island. That would take care of the erosion issue…. [But] erosion is only half of the issue. Sea level rise would require that the island be raised up using dredged material…. An engineering solution that involves both a seawall and raising the island up would be extremely expensive, and neither the island’s 450-odd residents nor Accomack County has the resources to fund a project that could cost somewhere in the tens of millions of dollars…. The … [Army] Corps [of Engineers] … has not conducted a study yet to determine the exact cost of building a seawall around the entire island. One of the hurdles to funding a project to save the island is that a cost-benefit analysis would be based on the number of structures on the island. Given the small number of structures, it would be difficult to justify such an expensive project.” (See opinion piece below.)

“Sportfishing groups and environmentalists are calling for a partial moratorium on Virginia’s menhaden reduction fishery, citing troubling declines of certain bird and fish species that feed on them. A petition, dated Dec. 12 and signed by 18 individuals and organizations, presses the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) to ban related menhaden harvests in the state under most conditions until regulators enact a scientifically based catch limit within the Chesapeake Bay.”

“‘Oh deer’: Virginia Department of Transportation … [received] $600K to identify roads with most wildlife collisions…. The Department said the funding will allow for the construction of wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, as well as increased fencing, improved tracking and mapping tools and more.”

“A new cooperative agreement between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will enable scientists to implement a first-of-its-kind study investigating fish behavior in response to offshore wind turbine installation and related construction activities. This study will use fine-scale positioning technology and be conducted at the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) research site, located approximately 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, according to The Nature Conservancy.”

“Norfolk has set aside millions of dollars to identify and replace lead pipes across the city and recent tranches [i.e., portions] of federal funding could help as water authorities across the nation gear up to meet regulations recently proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]…. A review of which pipes are made of what materials is underway, but the city has until October to complete its review. [SA city public utilities spokesperson described the review as] ‘a massive undertaking ….’ The EPA proposed a strict new rule that would require utilities across the country to replace most lead water service lines within 10 years. The EPA also proposed that cities create a materials inventory, make improvements for water quality testing and create a plan to accomplish the replacement of lead pipe….”

Thanks to a grant from the National Park Service (NPS), “more than 163-acres associated with two Civil War battles … known as Siegen Forest … is being forever protected from subdivision and future development. It is a key riverfront property laced with layered history, located… at a crossroads, facing intense development interest…. The history goes beyond the Civil War. ‘Human communities have occupied this area for nearly 12,000 years, drawn by the rich flora, fauna and mineral resources in the river environment, as well as by the shallows that provide a point of crossing over the waterway, that for centuries served as a transportation highway,’ according to the [NPS]…. The park service … released an article, ’Conservation at the Crossroads: Preserving Siegen Forest at Chancellorsville’.”

Opinions, Commentaries, and Blogs

“Three years after the Environmental Justice Act, state continues to fail Virginians” – Commentary by Victoria Higgins on the Virginia Reliability Project – Roanoke Times and Richmond Times Dispatch

“Offshore Wind’s Bright Future: Why recent industry woes do not tell the full story of offshore wind power in the United States” by a National Resources Defense Council clean energy advocate in its Climate and Clean Energy Program

“Offshore wind leases can and should bring revenue to states” by The Pew Charitable Trusts’ energy modernization project director and the CEO of the Conservative Energy Network – The Hill

“Setting the record straight on Avangrid’s Kitty Hawk wind project” by the chief development officer for Avangrid – The Virginian-Pilot

“Solar for schools and nonprofits is under siege. Fortunately, there’s a simple fix” by a lawyer and a longtime volunteer with the Sierra Club’s Virginia chapter – Virginia Mercury

“Southwest Va.’s energy transition [to small nuclear reactors] excludes its most important stakeholders: Southwest Virginians” by an Associate Professor of Biology and Vice President of the Clinch Coalition – Virginia Mercury

“Investment in high-speed rail will benefit Virginia, Hampton Roads” by Editorial Board of The Virginian‑Pilot

“Subsidence threatens Hampton Roads’ future” by a Virginia Beach resident and U.S. Navy veteran – The Virginian-Pilot

“Let’s pay farmers for outcomes that restore Va. rivers, streams and the Chesapeake Bay” by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Virginia Senior Scientist

“Journeys of Hope, Reflections and Pictures 2023…. Our Epic Journey to Renewable Energy,” blogpost by an Augusta County farmer’s blog Getting More on the Ground

“The Plain Truth about Climate Change in Virginia” by a retired mechanical engineer who favors investments in adaptation over reducing carbon emissions – Bacon’s Rebellion

Check out …

• This NOAA summary of Virginia weather and climate disaster events since 1980 that resulted in losses of at least $1 billion. “These events included 12 drought events, 4 flooding events, 3 freeze events, 47 severe storm events, 21 tropical cyclone events, and 18 winter storm events. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 6,760 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. The 1980–2022 annual average is 2.3 events (CPI-adjusted); the annual average for the most recent 5 years (2018–2022) is 6.2 events (CPI-adjusted).”
• This relatively short video by a 50-year Yellowstone “winterkeeper” and see the beauty of the park and its wildlife during the long cold winter.
• This upcoming webinar, “How to Prune Landscape Trees’, Jan. 16 from 7 to 9 pm. Learn the best practices for pruning landscape trees to improve their health and appearance while reducing the risk of branch failure. The focus will be mainly on young landscape trees. Register here.
• This 10-minute video by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC),” Transforming coal mines to shared solar.” Learn “about solar projects that share clean energy benefits with entire communities — including former coal communities — without placing the cost on individuals.”
• “Six reasons to be optimistic about the energy transition.”
• The Guardian’s series called “The Alternatives” that documents how and where “Around the world, local communities and governments are coming up with ideas for how to create a low carbon way of life. While you’re at it, sign up for Down to Earth to find environment-connected stories on many subjects and in many locations.
• One or more of these e-news outlets and organizations that collectively provide coverage of Virginia environmental and energy news (* indicates subscription required):

• Augusta Free Press
• Axios
• Bacon’s Rebellion
• Canary Media
• Cardinal News
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• DCist
• Farmville Herald
• FFax Now
• Harrisonburg Citizen
• Herald-Courier
• Inside Climate News
• Inside Nova
• Institute for Local Self-Reliance
• Loudoun Now
• Martinsville Bulletin
• National Defense Resource Council
• New York Times*
• Prince William Times
• RepublicEn
• Richmond Times-Dispatch*
• Roanoke Rambler
• Roanoke Times*
• Southeast Energy News
• Southern Environmental Law Center
• Virginia Business
• Virginia Conservatives for Clean Energy
• Virginia Mercury
• Virginia Public Access Project
• Virginia Public Media
• Virginian-Pilot*
• Washington Post*
• WDBJ
• WHRO
• Winchester Star
• WMRA/NPR
• WRIC
• Wydaily.com

Why not …

• Celebrate New Year’s Day with a hike at a Virginia State Park? “Virginia’s state parks will host a number of First Day Hikes, an annual New Year’s Day tradition across the country. Parking is free at all Virginia State Park locations on Jan. 1, and visitors will receive a First Day Hike sticker while supplies last…. A full list of First Day Hikes is online. (Seven Bends State Park is located in Shenandoah County.)
• Repurpose your Christmas tree rather than trash it? Here are suggestions for how to do that.
• Head to Richmond on one of the Virginia Conservation Network-sponsored Lobby Days? Water Lobby Day is January 30. Conservation Lobby Day is January 31. Register here. Track bills here.
• Join Virginia League of Conservation Voters 2024 Virginia Legislative Session Environmental Defense Virtual Climate Champions Team? On January 10 at 5:30 you can learn how to make a big difference in passing climate legislation. Register here.
• Download this free guide to going solar developed by Solar United Neighbors (SUN), a non-profit that assists folks to do just that? Get your questions answered by SUN’s Help Desk, also free.
• Take a listen to one or more of the songs, written by a Harrisonburg resident, on his website, Musical Scalpel? Echoing the sentiment in the quote provided in the introduction to this piece (above), and taking it perhaps a step further, the songwriter says “Many observers have concluded that the 21st century may be a kind of pass-fail exam for the human species, and all the other species we have endangered by habitat destruction and by disrupting earth’s previously stable climate. Earth will survive just fine, but will we?”
• Enjoy “paddling, biking, running, hiking, climbing, fishing, hunting, caving and backcountry skiing” in Giles County? And, while you’re at it, “experience the beauty of the picturesque Mill Creek and Mercy Branch waterfalls, the peaceful woods that connect to the Jefferson National Forest and the Appalachian Trail, the spectacular Sentinel Point overlook” reachable by trails built by a 72-year old county resident.
• Join the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Statewide Virtual Community Meeting? It’s part of a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). DEQ hosted five in-person community meetings in December, including one in Harrisonburg, and now is extending the invitation to residents throughout the Commonwealth. At this virtual meeting, DEQ will solicit ideas for measures that could rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia. The feedback gathered at this meeting will enable DEQ to develop a short-term priority action plan that includes projects that would then compete for part of a $4.3 billion implementation fund. The virtual meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 9, from 6-7:30 p.m. Register for the meeting here.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

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The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for December 2023, Part I

Energy

Regulations, Legislation and Utilities

“After securing control of both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly in the November elections, Democrats will have a new opportunity during the 2024 session to fill two long-time vacancies on the State Corporation Commission, the state body that regulates utilities, insurance, banking and business in Virginia. [The] incoming Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Chair … [stated] the goal is to have the vacancies filled ‘as quickly as possible.’ …The State Corporation Commission, a powerful state body of nearly 700 staff members, is charged with regulating Virginia’s utilities and banks, overseeing the state’s insurance marketplace and granting businesses their limited liability licenses, in addition to other responsibilities.”

 “Dominion Energy’s Virginia ratepayers could be in line for one-time credits totaling $15 million under a settlement reached with the Office of the Attorney General, State Corporation Commission staff and major commercial customers. For a typical residential customer, the credit will amount to roughly $2.25. The credits are to be reflected in customers’ bills by Sept. 30, 2024, if the SCC approves. The commission’s decision is expected early next year. The settlement, if approved by the SCC commissioners, would mean no change in Dominion’s base rate — the charge that accounts for nearly half a typical $133 a month residential bill for 1,000 kilowatt-hours. The rest of the bill comes from a dollar-for-dollar pass-through of the company’s fuel costs as well as several surcharges meant to pay for new plants and programs.”

“State regulators … [approved] Appalachian Power rate hike. An average Appalachian Power residential customer’s monthly bill will increase by about $16, starting in 60 days. Meanwhile, regulators did not approve a proposed monthly service charge exemption for low-income customers. [See opinion pieces below.]

Virginia Conservation Network sponsored gatherings of Virginians at 13 locations in early December, including Harrisonburg, to preview the upcoming General Assembly session that begins January 10. “The watch party for locals representing Rockingham, Augusta and Page counties and their respective cities was hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition and the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley…. VCN hosted this year’s virtual preview with the intent of informing and encouraging advocates of all types to reach out to legislators and lobby for the issues that matter to them. While the presentation covered a wide range of current topics, the final section focused on transportation — an issue that has been heavily discussed in the small governing bodies of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City as well…. That’s where the importance of the watch party event shone brightest. Leaders from SVBC and the Alliance were able to pinpoint local issues and then answer questions from those in attendance…. In summary — this area needs to educate new legislators about conservation policies and projects that matter….”

Data Centers, Energy Storage

“Virginia is home to the largest data center market in the world, but citizens and lawmakers have urged leaders to temper the onslaught of development and consider the impact. Data centers have brought hundreds of millions in tax revenue and thousands of jobs to Northern Virginia, and increasingly, other areas of the state. But among environmental groups, there is mounting concern that the rapid growth of the industry might offset climate goals laid out in past legislation.”

“Nonprofit organizations, homeowners’ groups, and residents from all over Virginia have joined forces to form a coalition that is calling for industry-wide data center reform. [The Virginia Data Center Reform] coalition is made up of more than 20 environmental, conservation, historic preservation and climate advocacy groups, as well as representatives of communities and neighborhoods across the state. Together, they are urging the state to study the cumulative effects of data center development on the state’s electrical grid, water resources, air quality and land conservation efforts and to institute several common-sense regulatory and rate-making reforms for this industry.”

“Nine months after the Devlin Technology Park [in Prince William County] was put on hold, about 100 residents turned out to a town hall meeting [last month] to raise questions, voice concerns and express their opposition to allowing 80-foot-tall data centers behind residential neighborhoods along Devlin and Linton Hall roads in Bristow…. The project, a controversial plan to build up to nine data centers on 270 acres behind several Bristow neighborhoods, will come up for a vote at this week’s Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting. The planning commission voted back in July 2022 to recommend approval on the project’s fourth submission, which would have allowed up to 11 data centers on the 270-acre parcel. In its latest update, Stanley Martin [the developed] has pledged to leave about 85 acres closest to Chris Yung Elementary School free from data centers. The area is being pledged for parks and recreational purposes, according to the application.” Subsequently, the “Board of Supervisors voted … to approve the controversial Devlin Technology Park …. The decision followed about five hours of public comment time during which about 80 residents expressed near unanimous opposition to the project, citing concerns over living amid a noisy and ugly data center industrial zone that they fear will lower their property values and degrade their quality of life.”

“Another large data center application in the technology zone area just east of the town of Culpeper is headed to the County Board of Supervisors. The county planning commission unanimously recommended approval … [of needed rezoning] …. Including 2022’s approval of an Amazon data center …, now under development, the town and county of Culpeper have approved over 6.8 million square feet of data centers in recent years, most of them this year. The … [latest] project will push that to over 9 million square feet.”

“PJM Interconnection, the regional power transmission coordinator, opened a window in February this year to accept proposals on how to meet the growing need for power in Northern Virginia that has stemmed from rapid data center growth. Out of the 72 proposals submitted, PJM’s Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee is preparing to make its final recommendation to the organization’s board Dec. 5. Included so far in the list of finalists is a proposal of 500 kV lines that cuts diagonally across western Loudoun from West Virginia.” Piedmont Environmental Council is assisting residents in expressing concerns about and opposition to the proposal.”

“Dominion Energy Virginia is partnering with Virginia State University to develop a battery storage project [in Chesterfield County] that would provide backup power to the school’s multi-purpose center, which hosts athletic events, conferences, concerts and other community events…. At another location in Henrico County, Dominion Energy plans to test two other pioneering battery storage technologies, including one that can discharge power for up to 100 hours. Most battery storage in the U.S. is currently limited to four hours or less. The VSU pilot is the latest in a series of efforts to advance battery storage, including the August groundbreaking of what will be Dominion Energy’s largest battery storage facility at Dulles International Airport. The company operates four other battery storage sites, in Powhatan, Hanover, New Kent and Chesterfield counties, and has a sixth installation under development in Sussex County.”

“The [Loudoun] county Planning Commission on Tuesday approved an application to construct a 20‑megawatt electric battery storage facility … south of Leesburg. The panel was reviewing the project for its compliance with county planning policies to issue a commission permit required for utilities. However, most of the discussion focused on concerns about the new technology, including the fear of fires, environmental impacts and its proximity to homes and a school.”

Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Nuclear

Virginia Beach “city leaders have sunk an offshore wind energy company’s plan to bring high-voltage cables through a beachfront neighborhood, at least for now. Avangrid Renewables plans to build the Kitty Hawk Wind Offshore Wind Project … off the North Carolina coast. The company wanted to bring transmission cables ashore in Sandbridge, a residential and tourist beach community … [near Virginia Beach]. City leaders announced … they met with Avangrid officials to inform them there is not support for the Sandbridge landing, given the amount of community pushback. Members of the Sandbridge Civic League have vehemently opposed the project, citing concerns about potential safety and health hazards. A group of citizens opposing the landfall formed Protect Sandbridge Beach Coalition to their voice concerns.”

“Work is now underway to lay down the path energy will travel, that’s being produced from Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. During a Virginia Beach City Council briefing … Dominion gave city leaders an update on how long the onshore construction for the project will take. The entire project is expected to be completed in 2026. … ‘The onshore bit we go about 4.4 miles underground from the beach to Naval Air Station Oceana and then just under 14 miles from Oceana to Fentress [substation] in the city of Chesapeake,’ … [ a Dominion spokesperson] said. For the next two years, work will be done to create a more than 17-mile-long path of lines to bring that energy to a substation in Chesapeake.”

“After Siemens turbine plant cancellation, can Hampton Roads still be a hub for offshore wind?” A Sierra Club spokesperson responded: “Despite recent struggles, ‘the train is out of the station on offshore wind’…. That means all of the thousands of components needed for a turbine to be functional, from blades to internal gears, will have to be constructed and that could lead to different regions along the East Coast specializing in the manufacture of different parts.” Dominion is moving ahead and “is creating a $9.8 billion road map for offshore wind. Close to $22 billion in U.S. offshore wind projects have been delayed or canceled, but the Virginia utility is moving forward with the largest facility in U.S. waters.”

“Increasing resistance to new greenfield wind, solar and storage development, as well as massive backlogs in the queues to connect new power projects to the grid, mean former mine lands and the plants that burned the coal they produced are increasingly attractive spots for new renewable development…. Sun Tribe, along with another solar developer, Washington, D.C.-based Sol Systems, is working with The Nature Conservancy to build solar projects on former coal mine lands in Southwest Virginia, Eastern Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky, that fall within its Cumberland Forest Project, one of the group’s largest conservation efforts at 253,000 acres. In Virginia, the state Energy Department, formerly the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, helped The Nature Conservancy identify non-forested former mine lands near existing utility lines and other infrastructure, which were then whittled down to avoid areas with important wildlife, habitat or other considerations that made them unsuitable for solar development.” [See opinion piece below.]

“US solar company Summit Ridge Energy has acquired a portfolio of community solar projects in the state of Virginia, with a total capacity of 100MW. The portfolio consists of 19 projects currently under construction, and Summit Ridge Energy expects to commission the entire portfolio by the end of 2024. Summit Ridge Energy’s new portfolio also accounts for two-thirds of the capacity of projects funded under Virginia’s Shared Solar Program, an initiative implemented in 2020 to encourage the development of new solar projects in the state. Under the program, solar developers sell power produced at their facilities to utility Dominion Energy, which offers its customers credit towards their energy bills by using this power, allowing citizens who are unable to install solar panels on their rooftops an opportunity to use solar power.”

“The termination of the first small modular nuclear reactor power plant project in the U.S. will have no impact on the state’s plans to deploy a commercial SMR, say both the director of the Virginia Department of Energy and the head of the Nuclear Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. That’s because the project was canceled due to escalating costs, in part because of interest rate hikes, and not as a result of problems with the design or technology….” [See opinion piece below.]

Transportation

“Virginia continues to pursue rail service to Bristol. Efforts to extend passenger rail service to Bristol presently are in the hands of the Federal Rail Administration [FRA] …. [The FRA is evaluating] the corridor ID program for Washington D.C. to and through Bristol. That would give rail through Southwest Virginia into Tennessee…. The federal agency is in the midst of a multi-year process to identify, review and partially fund potential passenger rail corridors.”

Valley Interfaith Action (VIA), based in Harrisonburg, is advocating for on-demand transportation for Rockingham County residents. “VIA hosted a large-scale listening campaign in January 2022 in which the organization’s members participated in 1,000 face-to-face conversations to find out what issues are most prevalent in the community and how might VIA work to address them. One of the problems that floated to the top was transportation. During those meetings, VIA learned that there was a significant need for transportation among members in church congregations … [and also among County residents more broadly]. VIA came across a private company providing a public transit service in the Charlottesville area [called JAUNT] and surrounding counties that was willing to extend its services …. Two demographics in Rockingham County affected by the transportation desert are the manufacturing and hospitality workforces…. Rather than running fixed routes, JAUNT is a demand-response transportation service that has the ability to curate routes to meet the needs of its riders.” VIA continues its efforts to pursue its services for the County.

One of the first bills proposed for the upcoming session is HB3, by Delegate Tony Wilt, that would “repeal a 2021 Democrat-backed law that tied Virginia’s vehicle emissions standards to California’s rather than following the federal government’s less strict limits.”

Climate and Environment

Chesapeake Bay, Air, Water, Land, Wildlife, and Waste

“The 2023 Chesapeake Bay dead zone is the smallest on record. The combination of pollution reduction practices and below-average rainfall results in a historically small dead zone…. Dead zones are areas of low oxygen … that form in deep Bay waters when nitrogen and phosphorus (nutrients) enter the water through polluted runoff and feed naturally-occurring algae…. In addition to … weather conditions, the size and duration of the Bay’s dead zone is affected by the amount of nutrients entering the Chesapeake from its surrounding watershed…. [The] Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Principal Staff Committee said: ‘These results show that the ongoing work to reduce pollution across the Bay’s watershed is making the Chesapeake Bay a better place for fish, crabs, oysters, and other marine life. As we focus our cleanup efforts during the next decade, we can accelerate and build on this progress.’”

The future state of the Bay, however, is complicated and, arguably, uncertain. The “state-federal Chesapeake Bay Program, which …marks its 40th anniversary this week, still drives the science and policymaking behind the Bay restoration effort…. [Despite initial optimism,] reality has long since set in, along with an understanding that the Bay will never be “restored” — whatever the future Chesapeake looks like, it will be different from its past, as population growth, development and climate change spur irreversible changes…. When it comes to the bottom line — whether the Bay is getting better — the answer is mixed. Nutrients have decreased, and many areas show improvement from their mid-1980s condition. But less than a third of the Chesapeake has met its water quality goals. The amount of underwater grass beds, which are a critical habitat for fish, waterfowl and blue crabs and a closely watched indicator of Bay health, have doubled since reaching their low point in 1984. Last year, they covered more than 76,000 acres, though they remain far from their 185,000-acre goal…. Now, as the Bay Program celebrates its 40th anniversary, its partners are contemplating what comes after 2025, the deadline for meeting most of the 31 outcomes set in its 2014 agreement. Of those, 15 are on track, 10 are off-course and the status of four others is unclear. Nutrient goals will be missed by a large margin.”

“The 2023 Winter Blue Crab Dredge Survey, published jointly by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Marine Resource Commission, shows there are 323 million blue crabs living in the Chesapeake Bay. That’s a 42% increase from last year when the population was the lowest in the survey’s history at 227 million…. [T]here might be hope for Virginia’s blue crab population — though numbers are still below the long-term average…. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has previously reported that the blue crab commercial harvest value has ranged from $22 to $38 million annually in the commonwealth.”

 “Ghost forests line parts of the coast on … [Virginia’s] Middle Peninsula. Large swaths of dead trees stretch toward the sky…. When salty water reaches coastal forests that rely on freshwater to live, it means destruction of coastal riparian forests, many of which have stood the test of time for centuries. But in a region where sea level rise and sinking land is inevitable, scientists and researchers are looking at the benefits that could come from flooded land…. Since the mid-1800s, Virginia has lost 150 square miles of uplands, or areas above sea level, in its Chesapeake Bay region, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. Those areas total about 96,000 acres and are now tidal marshes…. [The] local environment group Wetlands Watch … said ghost forests are one of the biggest signs of climate change.”

“Climate change is claiming farmland at “an alarmingly high rate” in one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most productive agricultural regions, inflicting tens of millions of dollars in economic damage, a team of scientists says in a new study. Their research spotlights a pernicious side effect of sea level rise: the salt left behind from water washed onto land after storms or unusually high tides. The resulting “salt patches,” supercharged by evaporation, can poison large swaths of cropland, reducing yields and farm profits.

The “Rappahannock River level hit … [a] low mark for [this] century…. For months, people have been able to cross the Rappahannock, on foot, as boulders that usually are submerged have become stepping stones. At the same time, more normal modes of river transportation — trips by kayak, canoe and tubes — have been canceled because there’s so little water to navigate. This year’s recreational season was almost over before it started….”

“For those who wonder if sorting cans and bottles from the rest of their trash is worth the effort— or if it all ends up in the landfill anyway—Fauquier County has an answer. It’s worth it if items are brought to their facility. That’s because Fauquier County does more actual recycling than many Virginia counties—but only of items handled by the county’s recycling collection sites…. Fauquier County has one of the few county-run facilities in the region. In 2023, the program earned $494,567 through sales of recovered materials, and it saved the county $205,195 in disposal fees, which are incurred when trash is shipped to a landfill in Richmond at a rate of $56 per ton…. While the county doesn’t have its own recycling mandate, it is subject to a federal mandate based on population that requires 25% of waste be recycled….“

“With the removal of its 29th abandoned boat, Hampton Roads nonprofit Vessel Disposal Reuse Foundation has cleared more than 300,000 pounds of hazardous debris from local waterways. This also means nearly 17,000 pounds of metal has been recycled since October 2021, said executive director Mike Provost. His organization focuses on the removal of “abandoned and derelict vessels,” or ADVs.”

We reported last month on a new state study … [that] will deploy] monitors to test air quality and assess potential health risks associated with dust from the coal storage and transportation facilities in Newport News and Norfolk. [See opinion piece below.]

Climate Change and Climate Action Planning

We reported last month on “The federal government[‘s] latest National Climate Assessment, its first since 2018. Scientists from across the country contributed, detailing the country’s current climate risks.

The report breaks the states into 10 sections, and Virginia fell under the southeast region. Authors for the assessment analyzed several aspects of the country’s climate, including adaptation projects, potential threats to the United States’ supply chains and current trends.” A subsequent analysis in The Virginian Pilot detailed specifics, including what Tidewater can expect to see by way of flooding, air pollution, recreational fishing, and heat impacts.

“Carbon emissions are down by 44.6 percent at the University [of Virginia], per the Committee on Sustainability’s 2022-23 annual report. According to the report, the group remains on track to achieve the goals of its long term sustainability plan, including becoming carbon neutral and fossil fuel free by 2030. These goals are housed under the University’s 2030 Plan, which outlines long-term plans to make the University the ‘best public university by 2030.’”

Flooding

“Construction including improved drainage systems is being planned to reduce flooding along Hampton Boulevard, a major artery that provides access to some of the largest and most critical institutions in the city…. In September, the city received almost $2.7 million from a U.S. Department of Defense grant to address the flooding….”

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers … [is seeking] funding to reevaluate how Norfolk defends two areas from flooding and storm surge as part of its $2.6 billion flood mitigation plan. The Coastal Storm Risk Management project includes an eight-mile long floodwall around downtown Norfolk, but also includes property-specific measures, such as home elevations and filling of basements, to protect houses in the city’s southside neighborhoods. When the City Council approved the plan in April, it asked the corps to consider reevaluating elements of the plan based on concerns raised by southside residents. The corps expects a determination by spring on whether it will go forward with the reevaluations.” [See opinion piece below.]

Opinions, Letters to the Editor (LTEs), and Blogs

• “Excess Profits Finally Squeezed Out of Dominion Rates” by a Bacon’s Rebellion blogger
• “Appalachian Power rate increase will raise bills more than RGGI does. If Virginia’s exit from the RGGI isn’t overturned through new legislative action, air pollution will be more profitable, climate change will be negatively exacerbated and new housing will lose access to energy conservation measures” by the former executive director of Open Door Community, a nonprofit housing and food organization based in Wytheville – Cardinal News
• “Smart, sustainable solar in the South” by a staff attorney at Southern Environmental Law Center
• “Virginia offshore wind project proceeds despite industry setbacks” by The Virginian-Pilot Editorial Board
• “Virginia Beach Nixes Kitty Hawk Wind Cables” by a Bacon’s Rebellion blogger.
• “Virginia must embrace small modular reactors for energy security, the environment”, LTE in The Virginian-Pilot
• “Virginia’s focus on nuclear energy is misguided” by the “founder of Cool Planet Solutions and … [past] president of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative – The Roanoke Times
• “As hurricane season ends, the need to address flooding remains” by The Virginian-Pilot Editorial Board
• “A pastor’s plea to combat coal dust in Newport News and Norfolk” by the “senior pastor at Pray First Mission Ministries in Newport News’ Southeast Community.”

Check out …

• These five creative ways to reduce your household waste.
• This documentary, “Clear Day Thunder”, about rescuing the American Chestnut, produced by The American Chestnut Foundation and starring, Dolly Parton, E O Wilson, and Barbara Kingsolver, among others.
• This blogpost by a long-time Augusta County “Farmer, conservationist, educator, and award-winning writer…” to learn about ” Ash Trees, Shrikes, the Roanoke Logperch, and the Endangered Species Act at 50.”

Why not …

• Listen to WMRA’s fall 2023 episode of Shenandoah Valley Ever Green [that] is focused on the Shenandoah River and measures that are ongoing throughout the Valley to keep water clean and plentiful? The station produces quarterly episodes as part of its Shenandoah Valley Ever Green seasonal programming, presenting information from its producers, JMU students and professors. “During each episode, listeners will hear ideas about getting outside and connecting to Nature. Episodes will also describe actions that individuals can take to help sustain the health of the local environment.”

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

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The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for November 2023

Energy

Regulations and Utilities

“A new report found Dominion Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan does not align with Virginia’s climate goals. Dominion wants to keep using gas and coal-fired power plants, citing data center expansion in Northern Virginia but the Virginia Clean Economy Act mandated Dominion to use 100% renewable electricity by 2045. Dominion’s plan does meet Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s energy plan, which relies on both fossil fuels and renewables.”

“PJM Interconnection staff … recommended about $4.9 billion in transmission projects to help address reliability concerns related to new data centers and power plant retirements in its footprint, according to a regional transmission expansion plan presentation…. Under the recommendations, Dominion Energy would build transmission projects totaling about $2.5 billion….” [See opinion pieces below.]

Dominion is replacing infrastructure to improve the electrical grid as part of the “Grid Transformation Plan, which is being approved in chunks by state regulators. The GTP was required by state lawmakers in the 2018 Grid Transformation and Security Act. The plan seeks to make the electric grid more reliable and secure – and flexible for ever-growing distributed renewable energy sources. Regulators just approved Phase III of the plan in September, which runs from 2024 through 2026…. The plan has been criticized by ratepayer advocates and environmentalists over concerns with renewable planning and cost.” The SCC has approved some aspects of Dominion’s proposed grid infrastructure projects but not others.

Dominion and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative received federal grant money “$71.8 million from feds to improve power grid resiliency.”

Data Centers, Energy Storage

“Following a public hearing …, the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors approved rezoning from rural to industrial for a 127-acre tract …, with plans calling for data centers in an area surrounded mostly by trees and vacant property but also near several neighborhoods and the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center.”

“Citing a lack of information and numerous unanswered questions, Prince William County’s professional planning staff is recommending denial on the Prince William Digital Gateway—one of the largest and most controversial commercial projects to come before the board of supervisors in decades.” “Staff rejected the applications largely because of the lack of information provided by developers. They pointed out that many of the documents submitted by the developers ‘contain technical errors, are contradictory, and contain nondescript verbiage … that may make enforcement of some of the proffers difficult.’ Staff also determined the project is not in alignment with the county’s Comprehensive Plan, despite amendments made to the document last year to pave the way for the Digital Gateway.” Subsequently, “The two developers behind the divisive PW Digital Gateway data center corridor … submitted amended project applications to Prince William County leaders in response to the county’s professional planning staff rejecting their initial plans…. [The] companies sought to assure officials they were committed to clarifying the imprecise information initially provided about the project’s layout and potential impacts on the surrounding area, which led county staff to pan the project.” Subsequently, Following a 22-hour meeting on November 9^th, Prince William County’s Planning Commission “recommended the denial of all three rezoning applications associated with the divisive PW Digital Gateway data center proposal.” “But that decision will not keep the project from moving forward to the board of supervisors for a possible vote on Dec. 12….”

A new “plant [in Southwest Virginia] will focus primarily on data center component manufacturing and containment products to serve customers in Virginia and other data center sites.”

Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Nuclear

What is, and isn’t “clean” energy? “States grappling to reach goals for renewables and emissions cuts from the power sector are finding a solution on paper: Rebrand what counts as ‘clean.’ That’s what North Carolina lawmakers did … when the state’s Republican supermajority overrode a veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, forcing through a law to rebrand nuclear as clean in the state energy mandate. Similar measures that symbolically or legally redefine natural gas and biomass as “clean,” “green” or “renewable” also passed this year in Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. While some energy rebranding has occurred for years, the recent action comes as states are increasingly being looked to help meet President Joe Biden’s goals to decarbonize the power sector by 2035.”

“The Interior Department approved the largest offshore wind project in the country …, marking the fifth massive wind array cleared for construction in U.S. oceans under [the current Administration]. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project will include up to 176 turbines, located roughly 27 miles from Virginia Beach. The Dominion Energy-backed project will be the largest offshore wind project in the United States, able to zap enough electricity back to the grid once it’s constructed in 2026 to power roughly 660,000 homes….” “The Biden Administration [also] announced that it will be providing over $39 million in funding for an offshore wind logistics facility in Norfolk.”

“But the Virginia project approval comes amid an economic storm for offshore wind, due to inflationary costs that threaten the 30-gigawatt target. Rising prices to build offshore wind farms have threatened the viability of some of the first proposed projects in the country, off the coasts of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts…. (Two “offshore wind power projects in New Jersey [were recently scrapped because of] supply chain issues.”) Still the Virginia project represents a big step forward for the nascent industry and secures a footprint for offshore economic activity in the central Atlantic. The first four offshore wind projects approved in the United States — two are under construction already off the coast of Massachusetts and Rhode Island — are in New England.

The Virginia project is expected to create roughly 900 jobs a year during construction and support 1,100 jobs annually during operations, particularly in Virginia’s Hampton Roads coastal region.” Dominion is seeking “outside investor interest” in the project, notwithstanding the canceling of the New Jersey projects. “A business model that allows Dominion Energy Inc. to be both a wind farm developer and a customer-facing utility is helping the company succeed in sharp contrast to others in the industry that are delaying or canceling US projects.” Dominion said it lowered its “cost estimates for power” … [for its wind project and] will decide by early 2024 whether or not to take on a partner….” Virginia’s regulated monopoly utility model allows Dominion to recoup costs of such projects from ratepayers.

On the other hand, the project faces challenges. “Amid failing turbine components and financial challenges, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy said [on November 10 that] it has ‘discontinued’ its plans to build the nation’s first offshore wind-turbine blade manufacturing facility at the Port of Virginia’s Portsmouth Marine Terminal [because] … ‘development milestones to establish the facility could not be met….’” Though long-term implications remain to be seen, Dominion said “This announcement has no impacts on our project.” [See opinion pieces below.]

“A new Occoquan Elementary School [in Prince William county] is set to completely replace the original 97-year-old building by 2026 and will be the county’s first “net-zero” school that produces as much energy as it consumes. Through solar panels and geothermal heating, the new school building will produce its own electricity and heat and will use half as much energy as a normal school building.”

“Solar advocates in southwestern Virginia say being local, proving the technology works and building a coalition to support it have been key” to bringing solar to their region. “In 2016, a coalition of businesses, nonprofits, colleges, local governments, and citizens launched the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia, which collaborates with Secure Solar Futures. It includes experts in every aspect of the green transition, from community organizers who tell neighbors about the benefits of solar to legal experts who propose legislation.” [See opinion pieces below.]

“In August, the USDA announced $266 million distributed nationwide to ‘energy-efficiency projects to lower costs, generate new income and strengthen the resilience of operations’. A total of $1 million went to eight Virginia projects. The money was distributed through loans and grants, one of which went to Regeneration Cycle Farm, LLC, a 94-acre poultry farm in New Market.”

“Governor Glenn Youngkin … announced a landmark land development agreement establishing a public-private framework to transform up to 65,000 acres of previously-mined coal properties in Southwest Virginia…. Energy DELTA Lab, in coordination with Wise County, VA officials and landowner Energy Transfer, will serve as the primary developer partnering with energy companies and electric utilities to deploy a diverse range of conventional and innovative energy technologies on reclaimed coal mine lands as part of this public-private regional economic development campaign.” The “Abandoned mine reclamation project [is expected] to create ‘game-changing opportunities’ in Virginia.”

Lynchburg is looking to support the nuclear industry and be part of Virginia’s transition to small nuclear reactors. A “Lynchburg company … will supply nuclear fuel for [an] Air Force spacecraft program [and] … will work on a team developing a nuclear fission reactor that would provide electricity to space vehicles.” “A French nuclear power company with its United States headquarters in Lynchburg is ramping up hiring to meet a growing global need for clean, low-carbon energy.”

Transportation

“It’s been about a year since Dominion Energy began offering its Virginia customers discounts on installing infrastructure to charge electric vehicles and no one has signed up to take advantage of them, according to a recent bi-annual report filed with electric utility regulators. Despite a lack of participation, Dominion sees the program, known as the Charging Tariffs, as a way to help Virginia’s transition to electric vehicles (EVs) by making the ability to charge them more accessible to business and low-income communities.” “The number of folks driving electric vehicles in Virginia has grown by roughly 31,000 since 2021, according to data released by the Department of Motor Vehicles. That number is expected to keep climbing as Virginia works toward a goal of requiring all new cars sold to be electric by 2035…. A spokesperson for Dominion Energy said Virginia will need thousands more charging stations to support electric vehicle adoption over the next decade. That’s why the energy company is rolling out programs and offering incentives to encourage businesses and residents to install infrastructure.”

“Charlottesville … relaunched an electric vehicle charging grant program to incentivize commercial sites to deploy new charging stations. Preference will be given to charging stations located near retail and commercials sites which would allow EV drivers to patronize local businesses while charging their vehicles.”

“After criticism over parts of a proposal to overhaul the state’s transportation funding system, Virginia officials are considering creating a middle-tier application cap for transportation projects in more suburban or smaller urban areas, including several cities in Hampton Roads, Roanoke and Alexandria.” “Planning officials in the Shenandoah Valley and central Virginia fear proposals to change Virginia’s transportation funding system could significantly reduce state funding for smaller transportation projects for cyclists and pedestrians…. Some of the proposals being considered by the [Commonwealth transportation] board include favoring larger transportation projects over smaller ones, lowering the number of applications local governments and planning organizations can submit and reducing the weight given to land use in applications. Significantly, many bike and pedestrian projects could go unfunded under the proposed changes.” The Commonwealth Transportation Board will adopt changes in December.

“The New River Valley Regional Commission recently developed an interactive plan to highlight existing bikeway, walkway, and water trails throughout the region. Community stakeholders, local government, and transportation professionals identified areas where infrastructure could enhance alternative transportation capabilities in the New River Valley. The Bike-Ped-Paddle Plan presents a vision of safe, reliable, healthy, and environmentally-friendly alternatives to motorized transportation.” [See opinion pieces below.]

Fossil Fuels

“A federal appeals court … denied a request from six landowners to stop construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline on their property while their lawsuit is pending. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia turned down a petition for an emergency injunction …. In what is believed to be the last pending legal action involving pipeline construction in Virginia, the landowners are challenging Mountain Valley’s use of eminent domain, which it employed in 2018 to take their land for the natural gas pipeline.”

“Dominion’s Proposed Virginia Power Plant Casts Doubt on Its Commitments to Clean Energy.

The company has proposed building a natural gas facility in Chesterfield, Virginia, despite laws mandating it reach zero-emissions by 2045.”

Climate and Environment

Chesapeake Bay, Air, Water, Land and Wildlife

“The Chesapeake Bay Program recently announced water quality standards attainment measurements for 2009 through 2022. Those measurements indicate that Virginia’s reported pollution controls achieved 84% of the 2025 reduction goal for nitrogen, 70% of the reduction goal for phosphorus, and 100% of the reduction goal for sediment…. DEQ staff … [concluded] the modeled pollution load reduction for phosphorus in Virginia could reach 100% of the federal planning target….”

“Agriculture is the largest source of nutrient pollution to the Chesapeake, and states are relying on farmers to achieve the overwhelming majority of nutrient reductions needed to meet Bay goals. But those largely voluntary actions often cost farmers money, increase their workload and reduce productivity, which in turn hurts future income. Uncertainty over what is expected of farmers and whether their actions are making a difference can make it more difficult to get people to act…. Bay Program records show that state and federal agencies have spent more than $2 billion to help reduce runoff from farms over the last decade. But it remains unclear what has been achieved, at least in computer models used to assess progress.”

“This summer was “favorable” for species in the Chesapeake Bay, according to a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In the report, researchers said the bay experienced a “cooler-than-average summer” from June to August. The report used data from the past 20 years, and in addition to cooler temperatures, healthier oxygen levels were found in the bay’s water.”

“The James River’s health has slightly improved but its ‘founding fish’ haven’t returned”, according to the “nonprofit James River Association [that] gave the waterway an overall B grade… in its biennial assessment.”

“Virginia is furthering efforts to combat the illegal reptile and amphibian trade in the Commonwealth through a resolution passed … by the Board of Wildlife Resources. The resolution mainly prioritizes the protection of Virginia’s native turtle species — considered one of the most vulnerable groups of vertebrates worldwide — which face significant threats and population decline due to unsustainable poaching.”

“In the Chesapeake Bay region, states such as Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia have added protective laws and funding to keep common species common and save dwindling species. But the species they champion face increasing threats. The agencies cite unrelenting destruction and fragmentation of key habitat, as well as diseases; invasive plants, insects and animals such as wild boar and nutria; impacts of overabundant deer; the poaching and illicit sales of rare specimens; and a changing climate…. No wonder the endangered species list for all three states is at an all-time high…. Altogether, Pennsylvania has 428 living organisms in danger of disappearing from the landscape. Maryland has 346 and Virginia, which uses a “critically imperiled” category, has 873.”

“Residents in Newport News’ Southeast Community and Norfolk’s Lamberts Point have complained for decades about coal dust pollution from passing trains, saying it causes sickness and dirties their homes…. Coal mined from Appalachia has been transported through these communities for more than a century…. Residents say their homes, yards, and anything left outside is coated in coal dust by the passing open top trains…. A new state study … [will deploy] monitors to test air quality and assess potential health risks associated with dust from the coal storage and transportation facilities in Newport News and Norfolk. The Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ] study, called the Tidewater Air Monitoring Evaluation project, will measure and analyze toxic metals and particulates in the air in the two communities and use the information to conduct health risk assessments. While residents appreciate the effort to further study the issue, many are skeptical it will result in meaningful changes.”

“As of 2022, data shows that 9.1 million acres of land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed is permanently protected from development. The acreage accounts for approximately 22 percent of the total land in the region. Nearly 1.64 million acres have been added to permanent protection since 2010, achieving 82 percent of the Protected Land Outcome in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The overall Protected Lands Outcome is expected to be achieved by its 2025 deadline. Protected lands are areas throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed with cultural, historical, ecological and agricultural value that have been permanently protected. Chesapeake Bay Program partners secure land conservation by holding easements, accepting donations and purchasing properties and development rights.”

“From atop McAfee Knob, hikers can take in a spectacular panoramic view of the Catawba and Roanoke Valleys, North Mountain, and Tinker Cliffs. Now a significant section of that vista … [has] been conserved thanks to a multi-year effort by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and The Conservation Fund.”

“Governor Glenn Youngkin announced $14.7 million in Virginia Land Conservation Foundation funding for 29 new projects…. Grants were awarded based on farmland preservation, forest preservation, historic preservation, natural area protection, and open spaces and parks. The project includes land acquisitions for new public outdoor recreational areas and conservation easements to protect active forests and farmland.” In the Central Valley, only Shenandoah County received funding through the grants for two projects.

“An effort to preserve dark skies in Great Falls recently got a vote of support from the Fairfax County Planning Commission amidst contention within the community…. Proponents called the proposal a necessary step to preserve dark skies, reduce light pollution, and ensure astronomers can continue to get clear views. Opponents said the changes would decrease safety, were being considered without direct community engagement, and did little to result in a meaningful impact on light pollution. The regulations, which limit outdoor lighting with a half-mile of the observatory, have been in the works for years.”

“Counties and towns across the Northern Shenandoah Valley will make significant upgrades to recycling infrastructure after receiving a nearly $4 million grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA selected the Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission for its Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grant program …, with the aim of upgrading tire-grinding operations and expanding curbside recycling pickup throughout the region. The commission, which covers five counties and the city of Winchester, was one of only 24 recipients of the grant nationwide.”

“At the edge of Shenandoah National Park … Virginia Department of Forestry [staff] are getting acorns and chestnuts into the ground…. In about 18 months [their efforts] would result in a crop of seedlings that could be sold to landowners and the timber industry. In this way, Virginia’s arboreal future would be secure — thanks in part to acorn enthusiasts who donated more than a million specimens this year as part of a state program…. The operations at the Crimora nursery use contributions from an acorn donation program that Virginia’s forestry department has run for about a decade. Last year, the harvest was a formidable eight tons of acorns and nuts — enough to produce 1.5 million seedlings. This year, donors sent 12 tons.”

Climate Change and Climate Action Planning

“The National Climate Assessment is the government’s most comprehensive report on how climate change is affecting the U.S., and offers people across the country a window into what we can expect in the years to come…. The report looks at how the climate impacts everything from health and housing to agriculture, transportation, air quality and local ecosystems. The U.S. Global Change Research Program released the first such assessment in 2000…. [The latest] report is the fifth – and most dire. It confirms that climate change, driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, is already impacting the lives of Americans, and that the country needs to adapt to those impacts even while acting to slash greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the worst-case scenarios. The report finds especially strong impacts in the Southeast region, which includes Virginia and North Carolina.”

“In a partisan vote …, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved a plan created by sustainability officials to help the county meet its climate mitigation goals. The Community Energy and Sustainability Master Plan, backed by the board’s Democratic majority, outlines a vision for how the county can take steps toward being a regional leader in environmentally friendly practices and policies. Republicans in the minority who opposed the plan said it was half-baked and worried about the fiscal implications of eventually implementing policies that address the recommendations. The board in 2020 adopted its climate goals and authorized the Office of Sustainability to develop the master plan to meet those goals. The goals include: Cutting greenhouse gas emission to 50% below 2005 levels by 2030; sourcing all countywide electricity from renewable sources by 2035; achieving 100% renewable electricity in the county government operations by 2030; reaching full carbon neutrality in the county government operations by 2050; becoming a ‘climate ready region;’ and making significant progress to toward the goals by 2030.”

Drought, Fires, Flooding, Winter Weather Forecast, and… Earthquakes?

We previously provided details about the replenishment of aquifers in Tidewater VA that some jurisdictions are undertaking. Some additional details were recently reported: “Southeast Virginia’s massive aquifer is being replenished. Here’s why that matters…. Hampton Roads Sanitation District [is drilling and constructing] 10 wells … in the park near the James River Wastewater Treatment Plant…. [The] wells are designed to inject water back into the aquifer, which is an essential source of freshwater in the region, and, like many aquifers across the nation, is in danger of being overdrawn…. The goal of the sanitation district’s SWIFT Project, or Sustainable Water Initiatives for Tomorrow, is recharging the aquifer by bringing wastewater to drinking water standards, treating it to match existing groundwater chemistry, and injecting it back into the earth. Doing so addresses several environmental concerns, including conservation, saltwater intrusion and land compaction. Water exits the aquifer faster than it can recharge.”

“Norfolk’s draft priorities in the state house this year include asks on … funding for one of the city’s largest projects in a generation. The $2.6 billion Coastal Storm Resiliency Management project is slated to encompass almost 8 miles of floodwalls with various other storm management infrastructure when totally completed over the next decade.” “Thirty-eight years after the Flood of ’85, Roanoke is still preparing for the next one. Thanks to the city’s flood reduction project, 44% of the parcels in the city’s flood control map are now in a lower risk category.”

“Drought is getting to be a big problem over a wide part of Virginia. Wildfires are breaking out as there is yet to be any sign of an El Niño-charged wet pattern.” The drought is expanding in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. “

In early November, the Governor declared a state of emergency because of wildfires. “Virginia currently has five active wildfires that have each consumed more than 1,000 acres and are only partly contained…. The U.S. Forest Service … announced restrictions on fires in the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest.” “Four of the five biggest wildfires burning across the western part of Virginia grew] … over the [Nov 11-12] weekend, but four of them are also more contained….” [The light rain on that weekend] did little to quell the widespread and intensifying drought, [and] cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped slow fire spread and allowed crews better opportunity to contain existing fires.” “Updated figures from the scene of the Quaker Run Fire [in Madison County] suggest the blaze has consumed more than previously reported.” The Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park announced restrictions. Counties doing so included Albemarle, Augusta, Rockbridge, and Rockingham counties and the cities of Harrisonburg, Waynesboro, and Staunton. The Virginia Forestry Department recommends all outside burning be delayed.

NOAA, “the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration … released its winter outlook, and for many it is good news – predicting both a warmer winter and a snowier winter than [Virginia saw] last year. The winter weather patterns will be affected by the Pacific Ocean climate pattern known as El Nino.”

“A “much larger earthquake” is possible in Stuarts Draft after a series of three small earthquakes over eight days, according to a Virginia Tech professor. All three earthquakes in Augusta County measured between 2.2 and 2.4 magnitude with a depth starting on Oct. 15 at 2.4 km; progressing on Oct. 22 at 3.5 km; and 8.5 km on Oct. 23.”

Opinions, Letters to the Editor (LTEs), and Blogs

“A conservative endorsement of solar energy in Orange County” by the Director of Conservatives for Clean Energy Virginia – Daily Progress

“Why it’s better to let counties review solar projects case-by-case” by the Virginia Policy Advisor for The Center for Infrastructure and Economic Development – Virginia Mercury

“On solar, as with all else: Follow the money”, LTE by a senior writer at the Union of Concerned Scientists – Washington Post

Fauquier Webert PJM Routing Concerns Letter 101823 – by a Virginia Delegate representing Fauquier County to the Chairman, Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee, of PJM (grid manager for Virginia and other nearby states).

“Wind turbines looming on our horizon” LTE by a Stephens City resident – The Winchester Star

“Developing offshore wind in Virginia takes time. That’s a good thing.” By the clean energy and climate justice policy manager at Virginia Conservation Network and the offshore energy program director at Sierra Club Virginia Chapter – The Virginian-Pilot 

“SCC Approves Paying Extra for Fuel As ‘Relief’” in a Bacon’s Rebellion blog post

“Driving to the Future in the South,” aNational Resources Defense Council blog post.

Check out …

• The Virginia Native Plant Finder tool if you’re seeking native plants.
• The Virginia Sierra Club Potomac Group’s Webinar: “The Good, the Bad, the Breezy: Offshore Wind in Virginia and Nationwide…. [T]he picture is currently not so clear for other East Coast offshore wind projects [though Virginia’s project is looking good]. Learn about the challenges overcome and still facing offshore wind, the implications of those challenges have on our one current Virginia project AND future offshore wind projects in the works off Virginia’s coast.” The event will happen December 4 at 7 pm. Register here.
• This Blue Ridge Country editor’s piece on “The Beauty of Rail Trails – Riding (Farther) to Lunch.”

Why not …

• Read about the EMU professor named as “among the top wildlife photographers in the world” and view his “’Pool of Wonder’ [that] captures a cluster of spotted salamander eggs nestled on a bed of sphagnum moss just under the surface of a vernal pool in Augusta County, Virginia”?
• Give the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition your views “to guide the future development of Massanutten’s Western Slope trail system“? The survey is here. Deadline is November 30.
• Review “How does climate change threaten where you live?” As Southeast Energy News reported in a recent email newsletter: “A new federal report details how climate change is affecting every region in the U.S., and the Southeast’s geography and inequities make it especially vulnerable. (Grist, WFAE, Atlanta Journal-Constitution).

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

---

The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for October 2023

Energy

Regulations and Utilities

Last month, we included articles about the General Assembly’s failure to fill two of the three vacancies on the State Corporation Commission (SCC). A former judge, who served temporarily, left for another position leaving only one. Another former judge will step in temporarily. The SCC needs at least two judges to carry out its work.

We previously shared articles about Virginia Beach residents’ opposition to power lines coming ashore from wind farms through their neighborhoods. This concern will affect many coastal and inland communities. “As Chesapeake Bay drainage states and the nation move to fulfill bold commitments to convert to renewable energy in the next few decades, an inconvenient truth has become apparent: It can’t be done without many more transmission lines. Through neighborhoods, along roads and across mountains, the nation’s network of power lines needs to double or triple in the next decade if the clean energy revolution is to succeed, warn the U.S. Department of Energy, scientists, environmental groups and many policymakers.”

There is growing concern about the lack of regulatory oversight of ratepayer costs from utilities’ transmission line growth. An Ohio consumer group has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that “electric customers have fallen into a ‘regulatory gap’ that’s allowed billions of dollars of transmission construction to happen without oversight of need, prudence or cost effectiveness…. [T]he same concern exists across much of the nation, so much so that the commission itself has weighed whether more monitoring of transmission spending is necessary.”

“[T]he Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (“DEQ”) published a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action (“NOIRA”) concerning amendments to the Small Solar Renewable Energy Projects Permit Regulation (the Solar PBR), 9VAC15-60. The Solar PBR regulation allows solar developers to obtain a state permit to construct and operate solar facilities without obtaining a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the … [SCC]. DEQ intends to conform the Solar PBR regulation to Chapter 688 of the 2022 Acts of Assembly to require a mitigation plan detailing reasonable actions to avoid, minimize, or otherwise mitigate impacts to prime agricultural soils and forest lands. This regulatory action would apply to solar projects that disturb more than 10 acres of prime agricultural soils, or 50 acres of contiguous forest lands, and to projects that would disturb forest lands enrolled in a forestry preservation program. However, projects would be grandfathered if the interconnection request is applied for and received by December 31, 2024.”

A Wason Center for Civic Leadership survey “of 800 interviews of Virginia likely voters” found that “a majority (65% to 26%) of Virginia voters also support staying in … [RGGI], a program that enters the Commonwealth into a carbon cap and trade program with other states in the region to reduce carbon pollution. Younger voters also show higher support for remaining in RGGI than voters age 45+ (71% to 62%), while more women prefer to stay in the program than men (70% to 59%).” See opinion pieces below. **

Data Centers, Energy Storage

“Data centers should be further away from homes, schools and national parks. They shouldn’t be allowed to tower over their neighbors and they should be required to be less noisy. Those are among the recommendations three organizations of residents from Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties proposed in an effort to guide local government officials on siting data centers and to avoid negative impact on local residents. Leaders of the groups said they planned to deliver their packet of proposals to their respective county boards immediately.”

“How [a Haymarket-area] project was approved—with little public opposition, little skepticism from county officials, and the acquiescence of the homeowners’ association—is a rich tale. The stew includes apparent misrepresentations or misunderstandings, an agreeable county planning office and resident apathy amid the COVID epidemic. Pointedly, the record shows that key decision-makers mainly fretted about the routing of power lines to the project and missed the elephant in the room—the sheer size of the buildings.” Neighbors to another Prince William data center found its noise levels intolerable and worked with Amazon’s engineers to alleviate the problem. So far, the decibel levels have been halved. “The work is not done. Residents say the screechy part of the noise remains, and Amazon is working on that too.”

“Two families who agreed to sell their properties to a data center developer involved in the controversial Prince William Digital Gateway want out of the deal. Lawyers for both families say their contracts are no longer valid because they include a rezoning date that wasn’t met. The matter is now playing out in federal court…. The court documents also shed new light on the deadlines set in the landowners’ sale contracts and the rush to set public hearings on the rezonings before the end of the year.” “A U.S. district court judge … ruled against [the] two families who wanted out of the deal they made…. The ruling, which says the land sale agreements are valid and landowners have no basis to terminate their contracts, removes a legal hurdle for developers involved in the massive new data center corridor proposed near the Manassas National Battlefield Park.”

“Following four public hearings …, the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors approved rezoning requests for four projects related to data center development. With the rezoning approvals, the county moved closer to joining the data center boom in Virginia as developers move from Northern Virginia to less populated areas in Spotsylvania, Stafford and King George counties.”

The Fairfax County Planning Commission approved a new data center in Chantilly “over vocal protests from members of the public…. This recommendation comes after months of discord over the project and amidst a broader debate over data centers in the county. Ultimately, county staff concluded that a data center or warehouse was an acceptable use for the land in question.”

Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Nuclear

“Energy Firms, Green Groups and Others Reach[ed a] Deal on Solar Farms. The agreement could help speed up the development of large solar projects that are often bogged down by fights over land use and environmental concerns.” It remains to be seen what effects the deal will have in Virginia.

“[Bristol Virginia] City leaders are considering a new use for the city’s vexing landfill once all of its issues are eventually resolved: as a possible solar energy site…. [Its] City Council unanimously approved seeking a state brownfields grant that could be the first step toward locating solar panels there to generate electricity.” Augusta County residents are speaking up about a proposed large-scale solar facility near New Hope. “The Stop Big Solar in Staunton group has filed a legal challenge against the project.” Botetourt County supervisors approved a small-scale solar project that is part of “Dominion Energy’s Virginia Community Solar Pilot Program.” “The South Central Virginia Business Alliance held a membership and networking meeting … to attract new local businesses looking to tap into the burgeoning solar sector and get their piece of the pie from projects being developed across Southside Virginia.” See opinion pieces below. ***

“Scheduled to begin offshore construction in 2024, [Dominion’s] Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind [OSW] is a 2.6‑gigawatt offshore wind energy project that will consist of 176 wind turbines located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, three offshore substations, undersea cables and new onshore transmission infrastructure to deliver emissions-free wind power to homes and businesses.” “The first monopiles for the … Wind project … arrived at the Port of Virginia…. In total, … [there will be] 176 monopile foundations that are up to 83 meters long, weigh 1,538 tons and have a diameter of up to 9.5 meters.” Despite anticipated pullback from OSW investors and developers following a New York regulator’s decision about passing costs along to ratepayers, Dominion Energy is apparently planning for its 2^nd “Massive Offshore Wind Farm Off Virginia.”

Fairfax County “hosted the county’s first Climate Action Conference last month…. [Its purpose] “was to give residents ‘all the actionable information and the tools you need to reduce your emissions and save money.’… Low-income households can apply for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which offers home energy audits and makes necessary improvements and repairs to heating and cooling systems. The improvements are free of charge and may include work on windows and doors, roof repairs and HVAC sealing, thereby improving efficiency and lowering lower energy bills.” Other programs were also highlighted. We previously provided information about this program happening now in the Valley. For Dominion customers there is a “Virginia solar program [that] delivers clean energy to elderly, low-income households. A three-year pilot spurred by 2019 legislation, the Dominion Energy program offers weatherization services and solar panels to qualified customers free of charge.” This story highlights the experience of a Dominion customer in Augusta County who benefited from the program.

“A year ago, the governor said he wants the region [SWVA} to host an SMR [Small Nuclear Reactor]. A study identified [seven] sites across four counties; many are on former coal mine lands, and several are close to population centers…. SMRs are smaller, simpler versions of traditional nuclear reactors that produce about a third of the power produced by the big reactors. They can be … cheaper than constructing a large reactor…. No SMRs have yet been built in the United States …. [S]everal environmental groups have raised concerns about some of the sites, particularly those that are in or near towns and so are closer to homes and businesses. But the biggest complaint has been that so far, the public is being left out of the process.” See opinion piece below. ****

Transportation

The Governor has made known his opposition to a federal regulation, and a Virginia law, that would accelerate the use of EVs. His energy plan objected to the Virginia Clean Economy Act and challenged legislation passed by Virginia in the 2021 session to adopt vehicle emissions regulations set forth by California ….” “West Virginia and neighboring Virginia have joined a 26 state coalition that is challenging a Biden administration rule that seeks to expedite the nation’s transition to electric vehicles. The states are challenging a proposed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule … [to] effectively mandate automakers to shift to electric vehicles.” See opinion pieces below.*

“Virginia’s Community Climate Collaborative (C3) released a new report [“Alternative Fuels for Transit Buses: What’s the Best Option for Your Transit Agency? (Vol.1)] to inform localities on the best alternative fuel options aligned with climate objectives, public health, environmental justice, fiscal responsibility, and service quality…. The report … focuses on three alternative fuel choices — battery-electric buses (BEBs), compressed natural gas (CNGs) buses, and fuel-cell electric buses (FCEBs) — and their ability to meet ridership needs as a sustainable solution for public transit.”

“A new report finds Virginia has “poor” transportation infrastructure in multiple areas .… The report, “Keeping Virginia Mobile: Providing a Modern, Sustainable Transportation System in the Old Dominion State,” was released by TRIP, a transportation non-profit in Washington DC. The report first highlighted how Virginia transportation has improved thanks to past state and federal funding.”

Fossil Fuels

The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) construction continues and so does the opposition and concerns about safety and further destruction. “After years of protests and lawsuits, the natural gas pipeline is almost finished.” This story describes how the lives of those who live near the path are being affected by what it calls “Joe Manchin’s … Pipeline.” Proximity to construction is bringing “fear and anger” following the negative effects of construction and its accompanying destruction of property. “In the past, the joint venture of five energy companies building the pipeline has paused construction during the winter months, in the years when it was not already stalled by litigation that has long delayed the $6.6 billion project.”

“A Montgomery County judge declined to issue an injunction … against a woman described by Mountain Valley Pipeline lawyers as a leading opponent of the highly divisive project.” “Three protestors were arrested after attaching themselves to … MVP… equipment.” “A group of landowners is seeking an emergency injunction from a federal appeals court that would pause construction of the … Pipeline on their property while their lawsuit is pending. Three couples who own three tracts of land along the pipeline’s route are challenging the company’s use of eminent domain, which it invoked in 2018 to take their land for the natural gas pipeline.”

This fall and winter, work will continue when it is safe to do so [according to the developer] .… State environmental regulators have cited Mountain Valley more than 300 times with violating erosion and sediment control regulations since 2018, allowing harmful sediment to be washed from the pipeline’s 125-foot wide right of way.” “After repeatedly telling investors and the public that it planned have the natural gas pipeline in service by the end of this year,” the developer announced a delay in the anticipated completion date to 1^st quarter 2024. Costs will be greater than previously stated.

“A federal safety agency is ordering … [MVP] to take additional steps to inspect and repair any sections of pipe that may have been damaged by exposure to the elements during long delays in construction. The action, which [followed] an informal consultation with [the] lead pipeline partner …, was taken to address concerns that prolonged exposure to sunlight may have worn thin a protective coating on the pipe meant to curb corrosion once it’s buried.” “Following a federal government agency’s proposed safety order, the pipeline’s operator says an independent third-party engineering firm will evaluate the integrity of the pipeline for the remainder of the project’s construction.”

North Carolina’s legislature overrode the Governor’s veto of a bill that “loosens water quality requirements for a controversial pipeline project called MVP Southgate. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality has denied water quality certifications for the project in the past, but the bill would make it easier for MVP Southgate to get certified.”

The Sierra Club explained its opposition to “Dominion Energy [‘s proposed] … Gas-Burning Chesterfield Plant Near Disadvantaged Communities [noting that the] … peaker plant, if built, would be the largest in Virginia…. Peaker plants like the one Dominion is proposing are also known for emitting pollutants harmful to human health such as small particulate matter, nitrous oxides, and ozone. These can form particulate matter (PM2.5), which can enter the bloodstream and intensify health conditions and lead to premature death. The company wants to site the plant near the James River—a waterway that is already rife with pollution from heavy industrialization—near neighborhoods that are historically disadvantaged and primarily composed of communities of color.”

Climate and Environment

Chesapeake Bay, Air, Water, and Wildlife

“More than a dozen environmental groups have petitioned that the EPA be more strict on regulations regarding coal pollution from open-top trains, and the group cites communities in Hampton Roads as evidence of a need for change…. The petition — signed by the Sierra Club, New Virginia Majority and 14 other groups — calls for the agency to require coal train operators to obtain a permit for their water pollution. In the petition, the groups argue that coal pollution is damaging local aquatic life and human health with heavy metals and toxic chemicals including arsenic, cadmium, chromium and mercury.”

“The commercial harvest of blue crabs has been extended in Virginia as the crab population trends upward…. The blue crab is an iconic part of the Chesapeake Bay, commercially and culturally. Their harvest brings in tens of millions of pounds of crab annually. The Chesapeake Bay is home to hundreds of millions of blue crabs, according to a yearly survey by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Fisheries Service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources…. The Bay’s blue crab population had been on a four-year decline before this year. The crabs were at their lowest population in 33 years in 2022, according to the survey. The recent 42% increase prompted state agencies to expand commercial fishing timelines.”

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will invest $9.6 million into restoring the Chesapeake Bay with projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. More than $1.9 million in Watershed Restoration Grants will go toward two organizations in Virginia to help protect and restore Virginia’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.”

Drought, Flooding, and… Earthquakes?

“The city of Norfolk … secured its first federal grant to help offset the cost of building a 20-plus acre park in the St. Paul’s neighborhood that will double as a flooding mitigation tool. [The $4 million grant] is… from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service…. ”

“More than a year after a devastating flash flood hit Buchanan and Tazewell counties, residents whose property was damaged or destroyed can finally start the process of applying for state flood relief money. … [The delegate] instrumental in securing the $18 million, said … he hopes those who qualify will receive the money before the end of the year.”

Augusta County experienced a trifecta of earthquakes over eight days this month according to “the U.S. Geological Survey website…. Small earthquakes are uncommon in Virginia as a whole. However, there have been roughly 100 earthquakes in the last 23 years throughout the state, according to the USGS. Most register under 3.0 magnitude. Mineral, Va., has been the site of higher magnitude quakes with one registering 4.5 and one registering 5.8 in 2011. In the last 10 years, smaller earthquakes have also been registered in Louisa, Deerfield, Forest and Verona.”

Opinions

* “Transition to electric vehicles faces a bumpy road” by the “president of Skyline Policy Risk Group and a former deputy assistant secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation” – The Virginian‑Pilot

* “Virginia should make its own decisions about EVs [by] a distinguished fellow at The Heritage Foundation” — The Virginian-Pilot

* “Want to help Virginia consumers? Reverse course on electric vehicle mandate” by a former Virginia governor – Richmond Times-Dispatch

** “Youngkin’s RGGI repeal is a bad deal for Virginians” by the Executive Director of Virginia League of Conservation Voters – The Virginian Pilot

** ”What’s at stake if RGGI disappears in Virginia?” – Bay Journal article

** Letter to the Editor (LTE) by a Virginian Pilot reader in response to preceding opinion. “We can’t afford to wait on Davis’ vague claim that the marketplace will eventually do its magic. This is not a “tomorrow” problem; it is a “two weeks ago yesterday” problem.”

** A Loudoun Times-Mirror reader voiced similar support of RGGI.

*** “Unfounded concerns about photovoltaic module toxicity and waste are slowing decarbonization” by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory – published in Nature magazine and reported in Inside Climate News

*** “Solar farms and agriculture can coexist” by a Frederick County resident – Winchester Star

*** “Utility Scale Solar is Coming to a Farm Near You” by an Augusta County farmer – Getting More on the Ground

**** “Small modular nuclear reactors: Unlikely, unaffordable, dirty and dangerous” by The Appalachia Peace Education Center in Abingdon – News

**** LTE by a Bedford County resident. “Nuclear power is harmful” – Roanoke Times

“Up for a vote in this election: clean energy, data centers and utility influence” by a Virginia Energy expert – Virginia Mercury

“Leaky pipes, unpaid bills: Richmond really needs a public utilities commission” by “an active volunteer with Electrify RVA and a renewable energy software engineer” – The Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Virginia General Assembly must build on the cost savings of the IRA” by “the executive director of Freedom Virginia [and] … the policy director for the Virginia League of Conservation Voters” — Dogwood

Check out …

• The Garden Club of Virginia’s 65^th Annual Conservation Forum: EcoLandscaping, Nov. 2, 9 am to 1 pm, in person in Charlottesville and via on-line screening. Learn how to unlove your lawn, leave your leaves, rewild, and much more from three of Virginia’s leading environmentally-minded horticulturalists. Register here.
• Sierra Club’s 2023 Report “The Dirty Truth about Utilities Climate Pledges”. Dominion Virginia’s scores (page 13) are Ds.
• What recent sitings of manatees in the Chesapeake Bay could be telling us about the Bay itself.
• Grid upgrade and climate resilience funding that Virginia received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other funding areas from the Inflation Reduction Act.
• This riparian buffer walk along the Middle River at a Swope farm and learn just how these buffers benefit the land, river, and wildlife.
• Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards’ Tree Basics virtual class “Select, Plant, and Care for Trees”, November 2, 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Learn how to select a tree for your property that will have the best chance to survive and flourish in the place that you choose for it. Register here.
• Join the Blue Ridge Prism’s webinar “Restoring the American Chestnut to the 21^st-Century Forest,” November 1, 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Hear about all the progress that’s being made; you can enter into a drawing to get two chestnut seedlings to plant on your property. Register here.
• “The acclaimed documentary ‘King Coal’ [that meditates] … on the legacy of coal mining, exploring its influence on tradition and culture, and examining its impact on health and the environment. The movie, described by critics as beautiful and poetic, serves as an elegy for a way of life that is disappearing, and raises questions about the future of Appalachian mining towns, questions which are left unanswered.”

Why not …

• Take the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Service survey about current broadband services, especially if you aren’t satisfied with your current internet services? Find it here.
• Complete the Virginia State Trails Office survey  to share your enthusiasm for the Shenandoah Rail Trail? The Friends of the Shenandoah Rail Trail would like you to add your comment at the end asking the state to move forward on the Shenandoah Rail Trail and expressing your support for the project! “A multi-use path from Broadway to Front Royal not only connects community neighborhoods to schools, shopping and parks, but it also strings nine towns together, potentially catalyzing other local trail projects within the communities, and even beyond, to complete a region-to-statewide network.” Take the survey here.
• Complete this Rockingham County Transit Study Survey, especially if you are a county resident or travel into the county? The County “is evaluating the demand for public transit in your community … [and seeks public] input to help … understand travel needs and barriers … [in moving to and from the] County and the surrounding area.” Response deadline is November 6.
• Learn two meteorologist’s answers to the question “What does El Niño’s return this winter mean for Eastern U.S temperatures?”
• Learn why “Mulching leaves in yards, instead of removing them, actually benefits lawns and gardens”?
• Visit Virginia’s newest state park, Sweet Run State Park, to walk, hike, see old farmhouses and outbuildings, ride horseback, picnic, learn some Virginia history, and more? There is an 11-mile trail network. Photos here.
• Learn about oysters? Tom Horton, a Bay Journal columnist, wrote that “Oysters are embedded in the culture, the economy, the politics, the history…. The Bay Journal film, A Passion for Oysters, by Tom Horton, et al., will be available for free viewing beginning Nov. 1 at bayjournal.com/films.”
• “Plant a Few Trees for You and The Bees”? Details here.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley is pleased to provide Harrisonburg’s The Citizen with a monthly survey of energy and environmental news stories about Virginia.

With their permission, we are re-posting these pieces here after they appear in the Citizen.

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The link to this piece as first published by the Citizen is HERE.

Statewide Environmental News Roundup for September 2023, Part II

Announcement:

Social Event for us Climate Activists! 
Tuesday, October 24th! 
Pale Fire Brewing, Harrisonburg, 5p-?
Please come! We’d love to meet you!

Energy

Regulations

“The State Corporation Commission [SCC] could soon be unable to rule on cases before it for the first time in Virginia history because it has only one judge sitting on the bench. The SCC … regulates public utilities, insurance companies, banks and financial institutions…. The General Assembly failed again … [during the special session] to fill two vacant seats on the three‑member panel, and now a former commissioner who has been acting as a substitute judge will have to relinquish that role after her appointment as chair of the Virginia Parole Board by Gov. Glenn Youngkin ….”

“Regulators slashed Dominion Energy’s three-year plan to make some of its most outage-prone lines less vulnerable to outages, cutting some $351 million from the company’s request to approve $508 million of work. For customers, it will mean an additional $1.38 on a benchmark 1,000 kilowatt-hour bill, which now stands at $125. If the SCC had approved all of the work, that additional cost would have been $1.88.” “According to the [SCC] announcement, Dominion had requested permission to harden 111 main feeders but the SCC only approved 44.” Nonetheless, Dominion is proceeding with a plan to bury power lines in Richmond that have the most outages.

Data Centers, Energy Storage

“The data center industry contributed $54.2 billion to Virginia’s gross domestic product from 2017 to 2021, according to a [just-released] PricewaterhouseCoopers study…. That calculation includes indirect impacts … and induced impacts…. The study … [was] commissioned by the Loudoun County-based Data Center Coalition…. More than 70% of the world’s internet traffic comes through Data Center Alley — six square miles in Loudoun’s Ashburn area…. While some communities have referred to data centers as game changers, they also are subject to criticisms for being loud, unsightly and large consumers of electricity.”

 “Data centers, some of the biggest electricity users of all, have signed agreements with Dominion Energy showing they expect to use the equivalent of 35% of the record flow of electricity the utility saw during last year’s Christmas freeze…. Dominion disclosed the agreements in a few pages of a 221-page … [SCC] filing. The utility took the unusual step of detailing customer agreements about planned data centers — the facilities that house equipment to store and move data, power apps and provide access to computer networks — in response to challenges to its long-term forecasts of electricity demand. That growth, which Dominion said would triple from recent years to hit 5% a year over the next 15 to 25 years, could mean an increase in the utility’s carbon emissions.”

“As data center developer interest spreads across the state, Caroline County is yet another community in the Fredericksburg region preparing for and dealing with proposals involving the technology that powers cloud computing. Proposals on data centers have popped up in Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George, Louisa and Fauquier counties. Caroline also has drawn interest from data center developers, and the county has proposed changes to its comprehensive plan in order to handle data centers.” “Concerns … [have surfaced] about Caroline [County] water plans {and} regional data centers.” “Caroline County is in the process of applying for a Virginia Water Protection permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality [DEQ]…. “[I]t’s the anticipation of “multiple industrial facilities that will rapidly increase water demand in the county,” according to documents filed with the application. A blogger noted that one aspect of the county’s process for accessing water is controversial because Virginia is a “riparian rights” state and because of its eminent domain law (Section 11 of Article 1).

“Culpeper Town Council … approved a rezoning for the development of its first proposed data center campus, slated for construction on 116 acres next to the Culpeper National Cemetery annex…. The two parcels, in proximity to the town electric plant and a housing development, were rezoned from residential to industrial…. The town in 2022 created a technology zone on its eastern edge to incentivize the data center use.”

To the southeast, a “1,200-acre data center park [is being] eyed in Hanover County.” The developer filed “a zoning request last week to create a shovel-ready development site for a future data center park…. If the zoning request is approved…, [the developer] … plans to spend more than $50 million to create the infrastructure needed for data centers to be built on the site….”

“Dominion Energy said … it has proposed to build a pilot project in Virginia to test two new energy storage technologies which could discharge power for a longer time than traditional batteries. Battery storage projects are critical for the transition towards clean energy…. Dominion said the proposed … storage project … would test … iron-air batteries … and zinc-hybrid batteries…” Dominion said it “will test [the] two new technologies as potential alternatives to traditional lithium-ion batteries, both of which could offer strengthened safety features for battery storage.” Dominion has asked the SCC to approve these and other battery storage projects.

Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power

“A more-than $500 million redevelopment project is transforming the former Lamberts Point Docks into a hub for offshore wind, shipbuilding and ship repair…. John Larson with Dominion Energy said the wind farm would generate enough energy to power 25% of the utility’s residential customers in the state. Additionally, more offshore wind sites would be opening up near Dominion’s project soon.” “Dominion Energy wants to pay Virginia Beach $19 million for roughly 4 miles of city easements to transmit energy from its offshore wind project. The power company has also agreed to provide $1.14 million to replace trees that will be razed to make room for the transmission lines and power poles…. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm will be 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and will include 176 wind turbines. It will generate energy to power up to 660,000 homes, according to Dominion. Offshore construction is scheduled to begin next year.” “The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management [BOEM] announced it has completed its environmental assessment of the project, … a little more than two years after the review began. The nearly 700-page report, … to be published September 29 in the Federal Register, starts the clock ticking on a minimum 30-day waiting period before the BOEM issues its final decision on whether to approve the project.”

Late last year “Dominion Energy … rolled out new fees and requirements for solar installers to connect to the utility’s grid, but the changes were never approved by state regulators…. [Dominion wanted] “to [require] … rooftop installations … [to pay] astronomical grid interconnection fees that [were] stifling the industry’s gains across an expansive swath of Virginia…. [Solar installers] … across Dominion’s service territory were … reassessing projects they had paused after the investor-owned utility rolled out new and expensive interconnection parameters last December for non-residential, net-metered solar projects. Dominion’s surprise rules — announced more than two years after a major Virginia law bolstered solar — could have boosted the price tag of each school project by at least $1 million … [one installer] estimated…. Regulators had not vetted the new requirements, which spelled out how solar companies would … pay to upgrade substations, cables and other hardware, as well as cover the cost of a series of studies to guarantee the new projects met safety and reliability requirements. Also, solar array recipients would be required to pay a monthly fee to Dominion to cover maintenance. [T]he utility wanted solar customers to sign what it called a “small generator interconnection agreement” so it was clear they would be the ones held liable if their array caused a grid failure.” On behalf of Virginia installers, the Virginia Distributed Solar Alliance requested injunctive relief against Dominion. The SCC acted quickly in Case No. PUR-2023-00097, granting the request from the solar industry to block Dominion from implementing certain technology requirements while the interconnection regulations are under review. The SCC now has pending a review of regulations governing the interconnection of small electric generators and storage resources. This review is pursuant to its May 2 order.

“The LENOWISCO [acronym for Lee, Wise and Scott counties and the independent city of Norton] Planning Commission is deep into the research phase investigating the possibility of Southwest Virginia becoming the home of one – or several – small modular nuclear reactors [SNR], a venture catalyzed by the governor’s energy plan…. In particular, he wants Virginia to invest in small modular reactors or SMRs – in theory, less cost-prohibitive than larger nuclear power plants. The Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a design for SMRs in the U.S. in January…. In a study funded by the Virginia Department of Energy and GO Virginia Region One, [the company selected to conduct it] assessed the feasibility of seven sites in Southwest Virginia…. All seven ended up being viable…. The commission has started a supply chain study and is about to dive into a public outreach period to gather area residents’ feedback about the sites.… [The study spokesperson] anticipates the commission will be finished with both tasks before the end of the year…. In terms of economic benefit, it’s not so much about the number of jobs the SMRs will provide as it is about the tax base they will supply, according to [the spokesperson] …. Through the Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, LENOWISCO localities can distribute the tax revenue through revenue sharing.”

Transportation

“Preliminary work is set to begin this fall on a $2.3 billion rail bridge over the Potomac River — a milestone in Virginia’s ambitious plan that would expand East Coast commuter and passenger train capacity over the next decade. Virginia Passenger Rail Authority officials … warned of delays if funding isn’t secured in the coming months to close a $729 million budget gap in the state’s rail program.” Virginia’s senators “announced $100 million in federal funds … for the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority to build a rail bridge to ease congestion along a busy stretch of railway in Fairfax County. The money will [fund a] project [that] will expand service capacity and help thwart delays. CSX, Amtrak and VRE use the tracks, and construction is set to take place between 2024 and 2026. “

Fossil Fuels

“Earlier this month, Virginia’s Air Board received a report on a “controversial permit” for Dominion Energy’s proposed Chesterfield Reliability Center, a 1,000-megawatt power plant that would be used as means of generating electricity in cases of extreme weather. State law defines the project as “controversial,” requiring a public hearing and other criteria, because it is a new fossil-fuel generating facility with a capacity of 500 megawatts or more…. Climate activist groups Third Act and Chesapeake Climate Action Network say the project is more than just controversial by state law…. [A] Chesterfield County resident with Third Act said because the plant would be built adjacent to the Chesterfield Power Station by the James River, residents in the area will suffer from increased pollutants. ‘The neighborhood nearby has suffered with 80 years of coal plant emissions, and they deserve a break’….” Dominion Energy provided “Early details about the pollution impact of a proposed power plant in Eastern Chesterfield County … to the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board … [that heard a presentation] by officials from the Virginia … [DEQ]. The plant has been labeled controversial by state regulators, drawing community pushback. Dominion Energy says it’s needed to keep pace with increasing electrical demand.”

“Several environmental and civic groups are calling for a natural gas giant and federal regulators to rethink a project that could increase air pollution near one of southeast Virginia’s most vulnerable communities…. The firm behind the contentious Keystone Pipeline … wants to upgrade a compressor station near Petersburg…. The work would remove controls that currently limit the horsepower of existing equipment. …[T]he company also proposes doubling the diameter of nearly 50 miles of existing pipeline through Sussex, Surry, Southampton and Isle of Wight counties as well as the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake. The expansion and modifications along the Columbia Gas Transmission line have generated nowhere near the amount of outcry as the Mountain Valley Pipeline [MVP] in the western part of the state. But both battles have raised environmental justice concerns over their potential impacts to nearby communities.”

“After case dismissals, work on … [the MVP in Virginia] resumed [even though the] Pipeline safety administration [PHMSA] call[ed] for further assessment of pipeline conditions following construction delays” and “additional inspections of the steel pipe before it is buried, although there has been no final action on a proposed safety order issued Aug. 11…. [C]ritics worry that while negotiations continue, sections of the 42-inch diameter pipe – which may have been compromised by exposure to the elements since 2017 – are being placed in the ground as the company rushes to complete construction by the end of the year. In an Aug. 18 letter to PHMSA, about a dozen organizations opposed to the pipeline asked the administration to work with other federal agencies and order that work be stopped until safety conditions are implemented…. [Meanwhile,] “A major leak at a Pennsylvania natural gas storage facility operated by the same company that is leading construction of the … [MVP] was caused by corrosion of a well joint.”

In late August, “opponents of the … MVP … protested construction work in Montgomery County…. One protestor locked herself to construction equipment….” Subsequently, “Two [more] opponents … chained themselves to heavy equipment at a work site…. Activists are trying to delay construction of the natural gas pipeline, which they say causes environmental harm and will contribute to climate change. Since construction resumed earlier this summer, at least five people have been arrested.” MVP “is suing more than 40 people and two organizations that it says are unlawfully interfering with its efforts to complete a natural gas pipeline amid growing unrest. The company is asking a judge to issue an injunction that would prevent opponents from entering construction areas, where they have temporarily delayed work at least a dozen times since July 5.” A judge issued “temporary injunctions against 6 pipeline protestors, but questions [the MVP’s] broader request.”

Climate and Environment

Chesapeake Bay, Air, and Water

“Recently, Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program was highlighted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for its $2.8 million investment in almost 100 ecotourism planning and infrastructure projects over the years, with a near 12x return on investment. CZM supports ecotourism initiatives in Virginia’s rural coastal communities. Learn more about CZM’s success from NOAA’s program highlight.” – Sept 21, 2023 DEQ newsletter

“Public Works departments in Harrisonburg and Waynesboro are currently accepting comments related to their Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load action plans which serve as a roadmap for reducing pollutants in local waterways before they reach the coast….  The deadline for comments is Oct. 5. Comments can be submitted in writing to Harrisonburg Environmental and Sustainability Manager Keith Thomas at stormwater@harrisonburgva.gov or by mail to 320 E. Mosby Road, Harrisonburg, Va. 22801.”

“Earlier this summer, wildfire smoke lowered air quality in the Eastern U.S. to its worst levels on record. While the smoke has mostly cleared in Virginia since July, scientists are sounding the alarm that — with climate change heating up the world and creating drier conditions — smoky summers will grow increasingly common.”

The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) awarded “$4,352,000 for the Virginia … [DEQ]’s Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund. The funding … will make it possible for VDEQ to offer low-interest loans to local governments … to support efforts to address emerging contaminants that pollute the clean water supply in Virginia. The funding is awarded … [by the EPA’s] Capitalization Grants for Clean Water State Revolving Fund.”

Drought and Flooding

“A drought is worsening in parts of the [DC/VA/MD] region. The hardest-hit areas are mostly west of Fairfax and central Montgomery (Md.) counties. The lack of rain has caused crops to wither and prompted concerns about water levels on the Potomac River. Foliage concerns: It’s especially dry near the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley, which could mute fall colors” In late August, the DEQ “issued a drought warning for the counties of Frederick, Clarke, Shenandoah, Warren, Page, Rockingham and Augusta….”

“The Commonwealth has been awarded $20,053,105 in disaster relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA]. The funding provides relief to localities affected by the February 2021 severe winter storm and the impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Administered by the Virginia Department of Emergency Management on behalf of FEMA, the funding is … 90 percent from federal funds and 10 percent state funds.”

“Over the past two years, two major deluges in the towns of Hurley and Whitewood in Southwest Virginia have caused catastrophic flooding that left dozens of homes destroyed and one woman dead.

But as the communities have struggled to rebuild, federal relief has been limited. In response, state legislators have dipped into state funds earmarked for other purposes to help with recovery. The main source of that funding is the state’s proceeds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative [RGGI] auctions, which Virginia law dictates must go to flood preparedness and energy efficiency programs. The diversion of nearly $30 million of those funds to post-disaster relief has put a spotlight on Virginia’s lack of a system to assist individuals recovering from storm damage…. [The] state coordinator at the Virginia Department of Emergency Management … said while the reallocation of RGGI revenues is a way to fill a gap for people impacted by the storms, there is a desire among policymakers for a dedicated state program that could provide individual assistance without waiting on the lengthy budget amendment process…. But with Gov. Glenn Youngkin moving to pull Virginia out of RGGI, that source of funding may soon disappear. And emergency planners say they are seeing increased demand for storm response and recovery.”

“Two major funding opportunities are available to increase flood resilience in the Commonwealth. A total of $103 million is available for advance projects to improve resilience to flooding through the Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund and the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund…. The Resilient Virginia Revolving Fund offers $18.5 million in grants and loans…. The Community Flood Preparedness Fund offers $85 million in grants and loans. Established in 2020 and now in its fourth round … [it] empowers localities to increase capacity for flood resilience and execution of flood protection projects. It supports the implementation of the Commonwealth Resilience Planning Principles detailed in Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Planning Framework.”

Wildlife

“As critical pollinator populations decline, cities and campuses find ways to encourage bees, butterflies and bats. Cities and college campuses across the region have been certified as ‘bee-friendly.’ Their efforts include reducing the use of pesticides, allowing native species to thrive, and educating residents and students about how best to help pollinators.” Numerous Virginia cities, towns, and universities are part of “Bee City USA.” Emory and Henry College “partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Canaan Valley Institute to convert 2 acres into a pollinator meadow.” “More than $2 million worth of honey is produced in Virginia annually [but a] “Virginia Tech ecology expert [advised] ‘Bees do more than just give us honey’…. Honey is also used for medicinal purposes due to its antimicrobial properties…. Along with providing food for surrounding wildlife, honeybee pollination boosts crop production … [and] about a third of the food eaten by Americans comes from crops pollinated by honeybees, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.”

Opinions

• Authors provided their views on Virginia’s withdrawal from RGGI. Data on Virginia’s RGGI auction proceeds are here.
  • A Virginia delegate argued: “Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative: Democrats’ misguided, expensive approach to energy production.” – The Hill
  • An editorial board in Tidewater noted: “There’s no plan to offset lost RGGI revenue used for flood projects.” – The Virginian-Pilot
• Authors also offered their views on large solar projects.
  • A former Trump Administration Interior Department official and current “vice chairman of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District” attacks big data center companies not for their energy demand, but for anything they do to meet that demand with solar, asking “Is Amazon polluting the Chesapeake Bay?” – The Richmond Times-Dispatch
  • A Richmond resident penned a response, asserting that “Solar energy has its benefits, too.” – The Richmond Times-Dispatch
• A Central Valley farmer and blogger wrote “Utility-scale solar is coming to a farm near you. I support big solar, but it must be done right.” – The Virginia Mercury
• A Norfolk City Council member believes “Virginia’s climate action is on the ballot this fall.” – The Virginian-Pilot
• A Virginia energy blogger sees “A bright spot at the intersection of farming, electric vehicles and solar energy”, [noting that] Solar is a better deal than corn for the community, since it provides tax revenue, diversifies the local economy and conserves water.” – The Virginia Mercury
• A Frederick County resident believes “Renewable energy offers a bright future.” – The Winchester Star

Check out …

• NPR’s week-long stories and conversations about the search for climate solutions that you can listen to on WMRA. “This isn’t just about “covering” the climate — it’s meant to remind everyone that you can always do something.” See highlights of specific stories at this link.
• Blue Ridge Prism’s Three Fall Workshops to build your fundamental knowledge of invasive plants!
  • October 20 workshop, in-person hands-on training in identification and management techniques at McIntire Park Charlottesville, 10 am – 1 pm, cost $25. Register here.
  • October 24 virtual session will provide an introduction to invasive plants and focus on how to identify them in the autumn and winter, 1 to 3 pm, cost $10. Register here.
  • October 26 virtual session will cover control methods and provide tips on how best to manage these invasive plants during the fall/winter seasons, 1 to 3 pm, Cost $10. Register here.
• UVA’s Lifelong Learning Institute and Environmental Institute’s online discussion on the seeming rise of extreme weather events and a planet living with harsh new environmental challenges by a panel of UVA experts, October 11, 2023, 2 – 3 pm. Register here.
• Wild Virginia’s webinar, “Raising Endangered Birds for Success,” and learn about “bird behavior, breeding endangered species, and the release of these beautiful animals into the wild”, October 3, 6:30 pm. Register here.
• This great resource from Advanced Energy United: Making the Most of the Federal Home Energy Rebates,  “Making the Most of the Federal Home Energy Rebates.” This comprehensive guide focuses on the twin Department of Energy rebate programs, HOMES and HEEHRA, which offer an exceptional opportunity to catalyze the market for residential efficiency, electrification, and distributed energy resources. Created with policymakers in mind, it offers a roadmap to making the most out of the $8.6 billion available for states. Download the toolkit here.”
• Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards’ (CATS) webinar, “Tree Identification by Season: Fall”, October 17, 7 pm. Explore the plant pigments that exhibit fall colors and see if they can aid in identification of trees. Register here.
• UVA Environmental Institute’s talk, “Extreme Weather Events: A Changing Environment “, October 11, 2-3 pm. Register here.
• How “Energy-Efficiency Programs Aid Virginians With High Utility Costs.” One program is available to residents of the Northern and Central Valley. Apply here.
• This video about Why Autumn is an Important Season for Gardening.

Why not …

• View the Dark Skies at Ivy Creek, part of Ivy Creek Foundation’s “Third Friday Under the Stars” series, 8 to 10 pm on October 20, November 17, and December 15, 2023? Details here.
• Go to the McCormick Observatory Public Night, October 6, 2023 9 pm to 10 pm, 600 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22904? Details here.
• Attend the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Defending Virginia’s Wetlands webinar, Oct. 3, 6:30–8:00 pm? Learn “how valuable wetlands are for our people, our economy, and our environment” and how they “are now at risk … in light of the recent Sackett v. EPA Supreme Court decision. Register here.
• Respond to the Virginia Department of Forestry’s (DOF) request to Virginians to help collect acorns and nuts and drop them off to be planted at its Augusta Nursery? Through statewide collection efforts, DOF nurseries plant more trees, of more species, from varied genetics. Acorns may be dropped off at any DOF office location by Oct. 16. For more information about acorn collection, contact the Augusta Nursery at (540) 363-7000. DOF needs these species this year:
  • Black Oak, Chestnut Oak, White Oak, Northern Red Oak, Southern Red Oak, Pin Oak, Shumard Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Swamp White Oak, Water Oak, Willow Oak, Black Chestnut & Chinese Chestnut
• Join the webinar, “Stopping Utilities From Using Our Money Against Us”, October 5, 7pm? Register here. A panel discussion will describe recently passed laws to stop utilities from using ratepayer funds for lobbying, political campaign donations, and other inappropriate uses. Learn how to launch a similar effort in Virginia. Dominion Energy is one of the utilities whose ratepayers help pay for their political campaign donations.
• Learn about Southeastern Grasslands? Did you know that “There are more types of grasslands in the Southeast than the entirety of the Great Plains and Midwestern prairies?”

The Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) is a non-profit, grassroots group in the Central Shenandoah Valley that educates legislators and the public about the implications of the Earth’s worsening climate crisis.