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Entries from December 2019

A Virginia Clean Economy Future: Resources to mine: Solutions Project

December 30th, 2019 · Comments Off on A Virginia Clean Economy Future: Resources to mine: Solutions Project

In seeking to legislate paths to achieve a “clean economy”, one thing legislators do not lack are substantive and thoughtful roadmaps to look at and leverage. As per a post the other day, For decades, people have been working on and considering how to get Virginia on the path toward a clean energy future. And, […]

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Tags: dominion virginia power · environmental · environmental economics · Offshore wind · solar · virginia · wind power

McAuliffe’s 2009 Clean Energy Future for Virginia

December 28th, 2019 · Comments Off on McAuliffe’s 2009 Clean Energy Future for Virginia

For decades, people have been working on and considering how to get Virginia on the path toward a clean energy future. And, with plunging prices for clean energy paths (solar, wind, storage (batteries), efficiency (think LED lights), electric transportation, etc) with increasing climate impacts and understanding of climate risks along with increased business pressure for […]

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Tags: ActOnClimate · clean emissions · virginia

Jay Rosen spot on (yet falls short) when it comes to Chuck Todd & GOP disinformation

December 27th, 2019 · Comments Off on Jay Rosen spot on (yet falls short) when it comes to Chuck Todd & GOP disinformation

Jay Rosen serves as a voice of sanity when it comes to journalism and journalistic practices. He, often at PressThink, delivers knowledge and insight with passion and eloquence. Rosen’s latest piece focuses on Chuck Todd’s Christmas Eve claimed of “naivete” (what Rosen makes clear is an admission of journalistic malfeasance) in not recognizing, as he […]

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Tags: Energy

(Com)Post-able reporting on Trump’s destructive inanity (re wind, energy, technology)

December 25th, 2019 · Comments Off on (Com)Post-able reporting on Trump’s destructive inanity (re wind, energy, technology)

Washington Post (and other news organizations) all too often seem to fall back to ‘both sides’ discussions that foster misunderstandings and implicitly undermines truthful discussion. And, far too often this ‘bothsiderism’ combines with, it seems, fear of angering Trump (or, at least #Cult45 devotees) to create misrepresentations. A story discussing political implications of Trump’s ignorant […]

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Tags: Energy

Getting Virginia to 100 (back of the envelope scratches …)

December 24th, 2019 · Comments Off on Getting Virginia to 100 (back of the envelope scratches …)

There are several legislative initiatives to lay down a path forward to modernize Virginia’s electrical grid with co-benefits of boosting the Commonwealth’s economic performance, creating jobs, reducing environmental injustice, improving health (economic, environmental, human), and putting Virginia on a path to address meaningfully the Commonwealth’s climate impacts. These initiatives do not align in many ways […]

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Tags: Energy

Virginia’s Clean Economy Act: Are the analytical underpinnings fatally (pessimistically) flawed

December 22nd, 2019 · Comments Off on Virginia’s Clean Economy Act: Are the analytical underpinnings fatally (pessimistically) flawed

Last week, a broad environmental coalition and multiple Virginia state legislators coalesced for the announcement of the “Virginia Clean Economy Act” (VCEA). When one sees organizations like CCAN and its climate hawk founder/director Mike Tidwell pushing hard to build momentum for the VCEA, the presumption has to be that this is serious action that would […]

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Tags: ActOnClimate · analysis · clean emissions · Cost-Benefit Analysis · dominion virginia power · electricity · Electrification · environmental · environmental economics · renewable electricity standards · virginia

How fast can Virginia get to 60% clean electrons? Scratches on a back of an envelope

December 22nd, 2019 · Comments Off on How fast can Virginia get to 60% clean electrons? Scratches on a back of an envelope

The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) targets having 60 percent of Virginia’s electrons ‘clean’ (e.g., low-to-no carbon emissions on generation) by 2036 and 100 percent by 2050. While finally, if passed, legislating a clean power (more prosperous and resilient) future for the Commonwealth, this bill would still leave Virginia a middling player (not a leader) […]

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Tags: clean emissions · dominion virginia power · electricity · Electrification · renewable electricity standards · renewable energy · virginia

Bush’s wars could have paid for 100% clean power … and so much more

December 19th, 2019 · Comments Off on Bush’s wars could have paid for 100% clean power … and so much more

Wind expert Paul Gipe has calculated that Afghanistan and Iraq war costs could have paid for the United States to have, already, a fully renewable power sector: wind, solar and batteries. If we had instead invested the $6 trillion we squandered on war in the Middle East, we would, two decades later, have made our […]

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Tags: Energy

Want to Boost Educational Outcomes, Virginia? Then Green the Schools!

December 19th, 2019 · Comments Off on Want to Boost Educational Outcomes, Virginia? Then Green the Schools!

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced his proposal for a significant bump in the Commonwealth’s education investment. The budget includes the single-largest increase for at-risk schools in Virginia history, raises teacher salaries 3 percent, funds more school counselors and new staff supports for English language learners, and makes significant new flexible funds available for local […]

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Tags: economics · Education · environmental · green · green schools · LEED · schools · virginia

Legislating for Electric School Buses: Some Thoughts and Principles …

December 6th, 2019 · Comments Off on Legislating for Electric School Buses: Some Thoughts and Principles …

Not that long ago, electric buses (EBs) were marginalia, an expensive, niche option that required enthusiastic and unyielding proponents to get them deployed into actual operations with robust analysis considering all benefit streams enabling justifying their purchase to green-eye-shade-dominated financial officers. Today, that equation has changed, significantly.  Literally 100,000s of EBs are now deployed around […]

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Tags: Dominion Energy · dominion virginia power · economics · Electric Buses · electric vehicles