Two renewable energy providers will be allowed to operate in Virginia after the State Corporation Commission ruled Wednesday that they meet state standards for selling renewable energy and don’t need to measure up to more stringent benchmarks proposed by Dominion Energy, the commonwealth’s largest utility.The ruling means that Virginia...
In a surprise executive order Tuesday morning, Gov. Ralph Northam issued a sweeping directive committing Virginia to making its electric grid 100 percent carbon free by 2050.“Virginia’s policy structures have historically focused on the traditional power sector model of large, centralized power stations and conventional transmission and distribution infrastructure,”...
Over seven hours of testimony spanning two days, Virginia’s largest utility and a diverse array of consumer protection, business and government groups battled before the State Corporation Commission over whether Dominion Energy investors should get a bump in their guaranteed profits.The case, which Dominion attorney Joseph Reid noted had...
For several years now, Dominion Energy Virginia has factored into its plans an assumption that electricity from carbon-emitting power plants will eventually include a cost reflecting CO2’s role as the primary driver of global warming. Dominion says it has even integrated this into its corporate goals, targeting an 80...
FRANKLIN — In the old mill town of Franklin, the streets smell of gasoline and fast food, peanuts by the millions and wood — mostly wood.To some, it’s the smell of money, an indicator of the industry that keeps the local economy going. To others, it’s a reminder of...
WASHINGTON -- U.S. House lawmakers approved bipartisan legislation Wednesday that would block new offshore drilling off the majority of the nation's coast, including Virginia, despite pushback from many Republicans.The legislation would put in place far-reaching new protections, barring drilling off most of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. Lawmakers are...
Little green boxes placed on roadsides around Northern Virginia to automatically sample passing vehicles’ exhaust generated just under 900 air quality violations last year, which are mailed to the offending vehicle’s owner along with a photo and instructions to make repairs or face a fine.The program is part of...
SANDSTON — A dozen people turned out to the State Water Control Board’s meeting Friday to voice their support for the destruction of an acre and a half of wetlands along the Potomac River in the name of environmental responsibility.Once, such an argument would have been unthinkable. But as...
You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, the saying goes.But when it comes to persuading Virginia’s western localities to join Chesapeake Bay cleanup efforts, it’s far less clear whether promises of water quality improvements will be enough to win over local officials wary of interfering with development...
Experts predict more than a third of Virginia's beaches and dunes will see "some level of erosion" from Hurricane Dorian, the U.S. Geological Survey said Friday.Virginia will be much harder hit than Maryland, with about 34 percent of the commonwealth's dunes experiencing erosion compared to only 2 percent in...
