May 2023 - Chesapeake Climate Action Network

NextEra to Drop Methane Gas Assets, Signaling Critical Threat to Mountain Valley Pipeline

CCAN says: “MVP’s other investors would be wise to come to the same conclusion”

Richmond, VA — On Tuesday, NextEra Energy, Inc. announced that it will drop all of its methane gas assets by 2025 and focus exclusively on renewable energy investments. NextEra is currently a major investor in the long-delayed Mountain Valley Pipeline, a proposed 303-mile fracked gas pipeline through Virginia and West Virginia that would contribute the equivalent of 26 coal plants’ worth of carbon emissions.

The news comes a year after NextEra took an $800 million impairment charge for its stake in the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) in West Virginia. These losses are not unique to NextEra. Equitrans Midstream, MVP’s largest investor, recorded a $329 million net loss in 2022 and a whopping $1.5 billion net loss in 2021, all attributable to impairment charges associated with MVP. NextEra has a 31% interest in the MVP project.

NextEra executives pointed to recently passed federal incentives for renewable energy through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act as motivation for this change in their investment portfolio. While they announced their intentions to sell existing pipelines, it is unclear what the impact may be for their investment in the incomplete and wildly over-budget MVP.

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director for Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), stated:

“The fossil-fuel chickens have come home to roost for the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Global, federal, and state level policy in our region all point to the same truth: the methane gas industry is not long for this world. MVP’s other investors would be wise to come to the same conclusion as NextEra and abandon their investment in a soon-to-be obsolete market for the good of their business as well as our people and planet.”

Chesapeake Climate Action Network has been involved in the fight to stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline since 2015 through organizing and legal action. With our partners, CCAN successfully defeated attempts to build the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Chickahominy Gas Plant and Pipeline in Virginia, as well as numerous other fossil fuel infrastructure projects.

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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For more than 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

CCAN Applauds EPA’s New Carbon Rules As A Step Towards Climate Justice

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to tighten restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel power plants. EPA proposed two new rules: one for existing coal and gas plants, and one for new gas plants. The largest facilities must make the earliest and most substantial carbon emission cuts, while retiring coal plants and peak-demand gas units face more lenient standards. New gas plants must implement the latest emission reduction technologies within a specific timeframe.

Climate Ride 2023: Team CCAN

Team CCAN Bikes Through the Shenandoah Valley for Climate Action

We did it! CCAN’s first ever (official) Climate Ride team participated in the Green Fondo Climate Ride in Shenandoah, VA and we had a BLAST! It was one of the most memorable events I have ever participated in, and I want to tell you about it so that you all join me on Team CCAN next year!

What is Climate Ride?

The Green Fondo– a play on “Gran Fondo” (Italian for “Great Ride”) for all of you cycling people out there– is a weekend biking event hosted by Climate Ride, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that mobilizes people to protect our planet through life-changing adventures. They organize charitable biking, running, and hiking events to raise awareness and support sustainability, active transportation, and environmental causes.

Team CCAN, which consisted of seven riders, has already raised almost $17,000, all of which will go directly to CCAN! Every detail throughout the weekend was thoughtfully planned by the Climate Ride organization – from the bike routes to the food– and even though we had quite a bit of rain come down over the course of the weekend, it didn’t put a damper on the fun!

Day One: 37 miles on Skyline Drive:

On Friday night, we arrived at the Northern Virginia 4-H Conference center and were greeted by the friendly Climate Ride staff– shoutout to Amy, Patrick, and the entire team for the warm welcome! We had smores, got acquainted with our fellow climate riders, and stayed warm next to a roaring fire! We hit the hay early, after we got the rundown on the plan for the morning.

On Saturday, we woke up bright and early and ready to ride. After a delicious breakfast, and a safety talk, we hopped on the bus, our bikes were loaded into the truck, and we were shuttled to the Thorton Gap entrance to Shenandoah National Park. One of the great perks of participating in a Climate Ride event is that they do almost everything for you except the pedaling! They provide the route, the water stops, the lunch, emergency bike repair along the route, the shuttle, and snacks! You quite literally just have to show up with your bike (and do your fundraising of course!)

We hit the road at around 10:30 AM and started our journey northward on Skyline Drive. I have driven along Skyline Drive many times, and I have always thought “wow, those people must be crazy” as I passed bikers, but this time, I was one of them. In all seriousness, I can honestly say that I felt very safe the entire time. The Climate Ride Guides encouraged us to take all of the necessary safety precautions and made sure we were ready to go out and have a safe and fun day in the park on our bikes.

After a long day in the saddle, we rode back into camp having covered 37 miles and climbed 3,000 ft of elevation. Phew- I was beat! We were treated to a restorative yoga session followed by a much needed hot shower. In the evening, Palmyra performed live while we enjoyed local beer and wine and chatted it up with the other riders about the day’s adventures.

The Party:

After a delicious dinner catered by Blue Wing Frog restaurant (check it out if you’re in the area), we listened to a special talk by Alex Clark, who is the founder of Prime Ability– a youth development program with the mission of building communities and inspiring the lives of young people through fitness. Alex, who is a teacher at Dunbar High School in Washington, DC, started Prime Ability in the summer of 2020 with the goal of getting “more kids on bikes and less kids on the streets.” The organization has been growing exponentially year after year, Alex was named a 2023 DC Teacher of the Year finalist, and he has established a National Interscholastic Cycling Association team that is expected to grow to almost 30 riders this coming year! You can follow Prime Ability on Instagram here. They host weekly rides in the DC area for students looking to get out and ride!

Day Two: Biking in the Rain

On Sunday, we got WET. It was pouring when we left camp for the 20 mile ride, but about 30 of us persevered and we had a wonderful time. Our route took us through wine country, fields filled with adorable cows and their calves and past the roaring Shenandoah river. The Climate Ride team had Apple Cider donuts waiting for us at the water stop before we continued along the route to our first big climb of the day. I’ll admit–my legs went on strike at one point and I jumped off my bike to walk up a steep hill. Thank goodness for my awesome fellow climate riders encouraging me up every hill. Everytime I felt like giving up there was someone behind me telling me to push through and keep going.

Everyone in the Climate Ride community was so welcoming on my first climate ride. I was inspired by the passion these people have for not only the sport, but for the organizations they raise money for year after year riding in events all over the country.

Our Team:

I am so proud of Dan, Lisa, Katie, Connor, Kurt, and Reid! All together, we have already raised ~$17,000 – all of which will go directly to CCAN! If you would like to donate to our team, we would love your support! We have a goal of raising $25,000 and we are able to accept donations until June 30th! Climate Ride is also generously matching all donations.

Join Team CCAN Next year:

One thing is for sure, I will be back. Like so many others I’ve talked to, after one event with Climate Ride, you’re hooked! It’s an incredible way to fundraise for an environmental organization you are passionate about, a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, and a great way to hang out with people who care about the environment. I’m looking forward to the next East Coast Climate Ride,and growing team CCAN’s participation in the event, so be on the lookout for an email from me next year (sign up for our email updates here) to join me out there!

Take a Climate Ride or Hike on Your Own:

Climate Ride hosts hikes and biking trips throughout the year and around the world! They have something for everyone. You can check out their upcoming events here.

CCAN is always looking for grassroots fundraising opportunities like this for our supporters to be a part of. If you would like to participate in a Climate Ride in support of CCAN, have another idea for a peer-to-peer fundraising event, or would like to host a benefit concert or other form of fundraiser, please reach out to our Major Gifts and Events Officer, Jessica Rampulla, at jessica@chesapeakeclimate.org.

It’s also not too late to support Team CCAN and our 2023 ride through Shenandoah! Every dollar donated will go to CCAN AND will be matched by Climate Ride! Support our Climate Ride team today.

Nicole Schroyer

Communications Manager CCAN & CCAN Action Fund

Dominion Energy and Governor Youngkin unite behind corporate profit grab that would bankrupt Virginians and exacerbate climate change

Richmond, VA — Yesterday, Dominion Energy published its latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which outlines a series of methods to meet energy demand in its territory. Dominion recommends making unprecedented capital expenditures that it will pass on directly to customers. Included in the IRP is a push for small modular reactors (SMRs), a new nuclear reactor prototype that costs up to $10 billion each at a nameplate capacity of 300 megawatts of electricity and is currently operational only on one floating barge in Russia. A solar facility costs 3% as much per megawatt of nameplate capacity.

The IRP also imagines eliminating mandatory retirements of coal-fired power plants – a signature piece of Virginia’s plan to move to 100% clean energy – and expanding the use of gas-fired plants. Many case scenarios suggest Dominion abandon the clean energy goals outlined in the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act. All iterations of the IRP assume that Virginia will exit the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by 2024, despite a lack of legal authority for Virginia to do so without the approval of the legislature.

The changes outlined in Dominion’s IRP would contribute directly to global warming and force Virginia to give up its position as a national leader on climate. Reckless capital expenditures on unproven energy technology and rolling back of climate progress are also key provisions of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Energy Plan. He issued a laudatory press release late Monday night, raising the specter of a dangerous new alliance between Dominion and the Governor, who sparred over utility regulation this past legislation session.

Victoria Higgins, the Virginia Director for CCAN, stated:

“We should recognize this unholy union between multi-millionaire Governor Youngkin and Dominion for what it is: a corporate profit grab that would bankrupt Virginians and exacerbate climate change. The state can meet demand without compromising our clean energy goals or forcing Virginians to choose between energy and food. Suggesting new fracked gas infrastructure in 2023 is patently absurd.”

Dominion Energy, a regulated monopoly, is responsible for its own energy planning and has historically steered towards large capital expenditures that provide the company maximum profit. As of February 2023, Virginians rank 8th in the country for highest energy bills.

Contact:
Victoria Higgins, 201-937-7017, vhiggins@chesapeakeclimate.org
KC Chartrand, 240-620-7144, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org