ENERGY + ENVIRONMENT
Virginia policymakers consider changing hemp bill to reduce impact on CBD products
Before many people even knew what CBD was, a particular group of families was asking Virginia lawmakers to legalize it. At the urging of parents with children diagnosed with severe epilepsy, Virginia passed a law in 2015 creating a legal shield allowing families to possess cannabis-derived CBD oils for medical use without fear of being […]
As channels fill, Middle Peninsula gets OK for faster dredging approvals
MATHEWS CO., VA. — On Haven Beach on Virginia’s Middle Peninsula, trees are dying as the surrounding marshlands slowly convert into ponds. As the sea continues to rise, salt from the Chesapeake Bay is more easily sprayed through the wind onto surrounding flora, destroying it. The marshes are also becoming more susceptible to invasive plant […]
Black lung is on the rise in Appalachia; deregulation of the coal mine industry is the main culprit
By Jacob Stump The Virginia Mercury reported on new research by scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago who worked in conjunction with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The researchers discovered “the largest cluster of (progressive massive fibrosis) ever recorded” – […]
No losses, no gains for Virginia farms and farmland in 2022
The number of farms and farm acreage in Virginia remained flat in 2022 despite small overall decreases in both farms and farmland nationally, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the USDA’s most recent Farms and Land in Farms report, the total number of farms in Virginia remained stable at […]
Public hearing on carbon market withdrawal spurs sharp criticism
As Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration moves forward with plans to withdraw Virginia from a regional carbon market, dozens of state residents spoke during a public hearing Thursday in support of Virginia’s continued participation. Virginia began participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multistate carbon cap-and-invest program that requires electricity producers to purchase allowances for […]
Dominion’s electricity bills are keeping customers in the dark
A seemingly simple question came across my desk a few weeks ago: What does Dominion Energy Virginia charge residents per kilowatt-hour (kWh)? Given how frequently I write about Dominion, I was embarrassed not to have a quick answer. In my own defense, though, Dominion makes it hard to find out. And when you do find […]
Old Dominion University, Chesapeake Bay Foundation launch flood resilience partnership
A new partnership between a state university and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation aims to fill the gaps in resources localities in the state face when addressing flooding. Old Dominion University’s Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation announced the launch of the Resilient and Adaptable Communities Partnership Wednesday morning following a […]
What this year’s big electric utility bill does
A staple of the Virginia General Assembly throughout the years has been lawmakers’ interest in tweaking energy regulation laws. Those tweaks have led to major overhauls of how the State Corporation Commission, the regulators of Virginia’s electric utilities, sets the rates for investor-owned companies. Significant alterations happened in 2018 with the Grid Transformation Security Act, […]
States to receive $2.5B from feds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
The federal government will send $2.5 billion over the next five years to states, local governments and tribes to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Biden administration officials said Tuesday. The new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program, which was authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, will spend $2.5 billion over five years to build […]
Virginia General Assembly split on whether to pursue nuclear power more aggressively
When Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled his energy plan this fall that pushed for the development of small modular nuclear reactors in the state within a decade, critics were quick to call the goal overambitious and a distraction from efforts to develop traditional renewable sources like wind and solar. The push preceded legislation this year […]
Virginia health groups back effort to crack down on THC products
The leaders of four Virginia health care groups are urging Gov. Glenn Youngkin to sign legislation that would impose strict new limits on hemp-derived products that contain intoxicating amounts of THC, the compound in marijuana that gets users high, as well as potential fines on retailers that sell them. In the letter dated Thursday, the […]
Department of Environmental Quality revises air pollution exception for data centers
After opposition during a public hearing and comment period, Virginia regulators are scaling back a proposal to allow data centers in Northern Virginia counties to run diesel generators over a three-month period to alleviate potential electric grid strains. Initially, the Department of Environmental Quality proposed the temporary lifting of air emission limits, a change known […]