Trump’s Pause on Offshore Wind: A Chance for Reform, or a Step Towards Cancellation
President Trump’s decision to suspend Dominion Energy’s massive Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project is sure to stir up another gale of political fights across the Commonwealth. While some will hail it as a triumph for fiscal and national security; others will see it as an assault on clean energy. Both sides are worthy of debate before […]
Does Spending $62 Billion on Utility Batteries Lower Your Cost of Electricity? Of Course Not
The 2026 General Assembly is likely to amend the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) to greatly expand the construction of utility-scale batteries for our electric grid. Based on the current prices for Virginia battery installations, this may saddle ratepayers with $54 billion in new capital expenses over 20 years. The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (CEUR) […]
The SCC Decides: Dominion’s Rates and Profits Go Up, New Rules on Data Centers
The massive data centers behind a growing energy crunch in Virginia will begin to pay substantially more for electricity in Dominion Energy’s territory, but not until 2027. The State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) approval of a new rate structure for the largest users will probably only intensify debates about what their “fair share” is. On Nov. 25, […]
Approval of Gas Generation Plant Divides Two Big Donors Who Helped Democrats Win
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) was able to approve Dominion Energy Virginia’s application for a needed natural gas generation facility because the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) includes a safety valve. If energy reliability is threatened, the prohibitions on natural gas at the heart of that law can be waived. One of the largest donors […]
SCC Notes Growing Cost of VCEA Compliance,Rejects One Project, Makes a Second Contingent
Citing the high cost, the Virginia State Corporation Commission on Friday denied a request to add a battery project to the Appalachian Power Company grid. In the same decision, an out-of-state wind project for Appalachian was approved, but only if it qualifies for major federal tax credits to keep down the cost. Without those tax […]
Enhanced Democratic Trifecta in Richmond Grants Them Control Over Energy Policy
The return of the political trifecta Democrats enjoyed during the 2020 and 2021 General Assembly sessions – now bolstered with a 64-36 majority in the House of Delegates – leaves the question of how to deal with Virginia’s energy issues entirely in their hands. Only if the Democrats suffer a significant division within their own […]
Behind the Rallies, Slogans and Rhetoric, Clean Virginia Pushes Its Energy Agenda with Voters
“The energy bills are…” shouts the emcee on the stage. “Too damn high,” comes the immediate response from a crowded meeting room in the east end of Richmond, October 16. That call and response mantra constantly punctuated a long and creative presentation on Virginia’s energy dilemma from the point of view of the activist group Clean Virginia. The point of view […]
The Virginia Clean Economy Act is Causing Higher Electricity Prices, Not the Data Centers
No, Virginia, we cannot blame the data centers. The impact of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) on rising electricity bills is more significant and destined to grow. With the cost of living turning up in election polls as a top voter concern, a repeal of the VCEA is one step the next Virginia General Assembly […]
Election 2025: Virginia’s Energy Future Is on the Ballot: Will Voters Choose Reliability or Risk?
For several years now, Virginians have been told that the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) is necessary to save Virginia and is a necessary step to save the planet. We’ve been told that rising seas, worsening storms, and other supposedly catastrophic impacts of man-made climate change justify a radical restructuring of Virginia’s entire energy system. But what […]
Cost of Democrat-Supported Carbon Tax Reaches $500 Million Per Year
Based on the most recent carbon tax imposed on the member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Virginians will pay about $500 million more per year for electricity if Virginia again becomes one of those member states. Your vote in November may determine that. Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger has pledged to rejoin the RGGI compact and […]