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By Steve Szkotak
RICHMOND
The Sierra Club said Monday that Gov. Bob McDonnell is pursuing an "old energy" path and recommended that Virginia develop incentives to encourage solar and wind power development and conservation.
The Sierra Club report, titled "Power Failure: How Virginia is Losing the Competition for Clean Energy Jobs," was released on the eve of McDonnell's three-day conference to promote his bid to make the state the East Coast energy capital.
While the report said McDonnell clearly is intent on making Virginia an energy power, he has failed "to recognize and take advantage of abundant opportunities
that exist with energy efficiency and renewable energy."
The report said McDonnell has been enthusiastic in pursuing offshore oil and gas resources but less so in promoting offshore winds and conservation.
"The Old Dominion can not remain wedded to old energy, but that is the course Gov. McDonnell is pursuing," said Glen Besa, Virginia director of the Sierra Club. "Worse yet he appears indifferent or even hostile to clean energy and efficiency."
The report cites a Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium report that estimated the development of wind power off the coast of Virginia Beach could create more than 10,000 career-length jobs over two decades.
"If the governor is serious about making Virginia the 'Energy Capital of the East Coast,' then offshore wind must be at the forefront of his plan to get us there," Besa said.
In response, a spokesman for McDonnell said the Sierra Club "has willfully chosen to ignore" the governor's record of supporting alternatives as part of a comprehensive energy plan. Tucker Martin cited a package of "green energy legislation" the governor signed earlier this year.
"We favor an 'all of the above' approach that uses coal, oil, gas wind, solar and all forms of energy, along with conservation and efficiency, to create good jobs while keeping energy affordable to our citizens," Martin said in a statement to The Associated Press.
In addition to the criticism of McDonnell's energy tack, the Sierra Club report also recommended a series of proposals, among them:
-- Utility rate structures that increase in price based on power consumption, and reduced rates for customers who use less power.
-- Programs to help homeowners evaluate and retrofit their homes for energy efficiency.
-- Adoption of a standard that requires at least 20 percent of electric demand be met by renewable energy by 2025.
-- Rescinding tax credits paid to coal mining companies and utilities.
-- Rebates or tax credits for investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
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I totally agree with you Mr.
I totally agree with you Mr. Fred. leadership efforts toward conservation and environmental improvement have taken a back seat to monetary gain. We have elected officials who don’t even take the effort to prioritize preservation and conservation until election time. Money won’t solve what we have and continue to destroy. If we don’t take a stand and continue to educate the people on the long term advantages of conservation and preservation, humanity will end by our hands. We are to blame for the problems. We have abused our mother earth for centuries. We have taken so much from her and continue to fail at giving back. One day she will get tired of the abuse.
Strike a balance
Non-renewable energy is called that for a reason; there are finite limits to available resources. The U.S. must find a way to strike a reasonable balance between required investments in energies of the future and the use of declining energy resources now available. Preservation of the environment has to be a major consideration. If we do not, the risk from a business perspective is the failure to capitalize on a one-time opportunity to create jobs in an emerging industry and add to the bottom line. The risk from an environmental perspective is a trashed environment that may be pushed past the tipping point. Striking the right balance will take innovative and bold leadership. In the current hostile political world, we lack this type of leadership. If there was ever a time for a bipartisian approach, now is the time.
look beyond headlines
Both wind and solar sources are dependent on the existing energy sources to back up the solar and wind systems. The manufacture of solar panels and wind turbines is dependent on the current energy systems. So, every time the greenies scream for these systems "Now, Now, Now" look beyond the rhetoric. Yes, we should move to systems not reliant on fossil fuels; however, we are a long way from these systems being affordable and not being reliant on fossil fuel for their operations. These systems are new and therefor costly, a gradual move that doesn't bankrupt the nation is the only way to proceed. These systems are also "not ready for prime time" because they take huge expanses of land or sea, cannot run entirely on their own, produce very little energy at present, and will continue to need billions in upgrades over time. If greenies were really serious they would have pushed for upgraded regulations in the home construction market long ago. There is no reason that all buildings (whether they are houses or office buildings) built currently aren't required to be at least a certain% solar powered. We have proven that people will pay outrageous amounts of money for McMansions, wha
don't bother
2cents, there is no sense trying to engage the Green Party types in rational discourse on a reasonable method of transitioning our energy dependence from foreign oil to cleaner, domestic sources. They won't listen. They're like any other far right/left fringe - they know they're right and that's that.
We just
found out from the local chapter of the Sierra Club in Colorado that your "dirty" energy governor hates puppies too. Oh, the horror.
Go Fo It Sierra Club
Why does not the Sierra club create of partner with a project to develop wind power off Virginia and put their efforts and time and money where their mouths are. Or is the talk all "hot air" or wind as the case may be.
Green is a color
"Tucker Martin cited a package of "green energy legislation" the governor signed earlier this year."
There is no "green energy legislation". That's why the cliche is coming from a political mouthpiece.
It's CLEAN energy systems. Dirty energy polluters just can't use that word, CLEAN. It hurts 'em to do it.
Bobby is in bed with the corporate coal and oil companies.
Tucker is a local hack with language difficulties.
The Sierra Club is promoting JOBS of the future.
It's clean, not green!
I know it's only Monday,
but I believe we already have the quote of the week.
"The Sierra Club is the Al Qaeda of Ecology."
You can't make this stuff up folks.
30 years ago
I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said "Virginia - owned and operated by VEPCO." The only thing that has changed is the name.
David Campbell and bumper stickers...
...if Virginia were owned and operated by the Sierra Club there wouldn't be any bumper stickers--none of us would be allowed to have a motor vehicle. Except for the Sierra Club and their elite backers, of course.