CCAN In Solidarity with UAW for Good Jobs, Union Rights, and Auto Industry’s Clean Energy Revolution

Washington, DC — Over the past decade, Ford, GM, and Stellantis-Chrysler have raked in a staggering quarter-trillion dollars in North America profits, yet members of The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) never received their fair share. As the Big Three invest in the essential shift towards electrification in the automotive industry, including Electric Vehicles (EVs), the UAW stands firm in asserting that the transition to a clean energy future presents a monumental opportunity to elevate autoworker standards rather than diminishing them. 

Statement from Quentin Scott, Federal Policy Director:

“At CCAN, we champion a just transition to a clean energy future. Insufficient wages, job insecurity, and substandard working conditions have left both workers and their communities behind. As we move away from fossil fuels, there is a golden opportunity for American workers and their families to thrive through the electrification of the automotive and transportation sector, a vital component of the green energy revolution. Our unwavering commitment to supporting workers and communities fuels our solidarity with the UAW and all those at the forefront of the climate crisis and this imperative transition.”

Contact:
Quentin Scott, 310-465-6943, quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org
KC Chartrand, 240-620-7144, kc@chessapeakeclimate.org

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.chesapeakeclimate.org

Offshore Wind: Up Close and Personal

By Jess Rampulla

On a warm September day, twenty-two CCAN staff members, friends, and supporters boarded a boat in Virginia Beach to see offshore wind turbines, located twenty-seven miles off the coast of Virginia. This once-in-a-lifetime experience was truly remarkable, and I was thrilled to be able to share it with other members of the climate community.

At eight in the morning, our group boarded a boat along with members of Dominion Energy staff and Rudee Tours to begin our five-hour trip. You could feel the excitement from everyone on board, ready for the journey ahead of us. While the first moments driving out proved to be rockier than expected, our CCAN group continued to exclaim how excited they were to be here, with people making jokes about if everyone had taken their dramamine for breakfast. After the water settled, we all loaded into the boat’s inner cabin, just big enough to hold everyone on board, to hear a presentation from a Dominion Energy staff member on what to expect during the trip, and facts about the amount of power wind turbines could produce.

After the presentation, everyone shuffled back out on the deck to enjoy the warm weather and try and catch a glimpse of the turbines. We could just barely see them off in the distance around ten miles offshore. On our journey out, I had conversations with several CCAN donors and supporters on board. Reasons for making the journey varied from “we could never have passed up this opportunity” to “I’m doing this to give my grandchildren a better future.” As the turbines became more visible, people on board began to snap pictures and crowd towards the front of the boat. Everyone wanted proof that they were here today, and to have evidence to share with all their friends and family back home.

Finally, after around two hours, we pulled up just feet from one of the turbines. Enormous doesn’t feel like quite a strong enough word to describe just how big these power sources were:

The thing that shocked me the most from being so up close was just how quiet the turbines were. They made no sound, aside from the whoosh of air as they spun. The boat stopped for around thirty minutes so everyone was able to admire the turbines and get all the photos they wanted. The joy on everyone’s face as they looked up at these huge structures was contagious. We were looking at the future of off-shore wind energy in Virginia. Maryland State Delegate, Lorig Charkoudian was on board and spoke with members of CCAN’s staff about how this was the ultimate goal for Maryland as well. While at the turbines, we had a surprise visit from a school of fish, swimming and feeding around the bottom of the turbines, proving that these structures don’t affect marine life in the area.

After our stop at the turbines, we started the journey back. We spotted a pod of about twenty dolphins swimming next to our boat, happily jumping in and out of the waves. We ate sandwiches and chips and made sure to keep hydrated and reapply sunscreen. The trip back was more subdued, with everyone appearing to process the magnitude of what they saw. As we pulled back into port and walked off the boat, groups of people formed, all sharing their own thoughts from the trip. As people loaded into cars to drive back home or begin a day of canvassing, I felt overwhelmingly grateful for this experience and to have the opportunity to work for a company like CCAN that helps move the Chesapeake region towards cleaner energy and a more sustainable future.

CCAN Joins Immigration, Faith, and Labor Groups at White House Rally Demanding Protected Status for More Climate Migrants

Washington, DC — In a powerful demonstration at the White House today, CCAN and allied immigration, faith, and labor organizations came together to urgently demand that the Biden Administration extend and expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for migrants from climate change-affected countries. Protestors called for current temporary protections granted to immigrants from El Salvador, Nepal, Honduras, and Nicaragua to be made permanent. And, while TPS was recently extended for hundreds of thousands of people, the protesters spotlighted the fact that migrants from Guatemala, Pakistan, and other countries facing severe climate change impacts still lack TPS designation or re-designation.

Statement from Ernesto Villasenor, Jr., CCAN Federal Campaign Coordinator:

“For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm on human-induced climate change. And now the grim reality is that climate change-induced catastrophes are upon us, wreaking havoc on El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Guatemala – countries that are already grappling with food insecurity, political turmoil, and rising violence.

For five years, TPS holders from these crisis-ridden countries endured perpetual uncertainty with only short-term extensions from the US Department of Homeland Security. The recent TPS extension, though helpful, missed a crucial opportunity to demonstrate real leadership for climate migrants. It overlooked countries like Guatemala, Pakistan, and others hit by climate disasters, leaving them out of TPS. We’re at the White House to say, ‘Enough is enough! Families belong together, protected, and safe.” 

Climate change migration isn’t just about future coastal cities; it’s a current crisis. Thousands of Pakistanis, displaced by devastating floods, illustrate this fact. Despite a third of their country being submerged and nearly half a million people losing homes, they did not receive TPS. This highlights the urgent need to address climate-induced displacement now.

TPS fundamentally recognizes the imperative of providing immediate assistance and sanctuary to individuals who are unable to return safely to their countries of origin. It acknowledges that the dire circumstances they face are beyond their control and often require a temporary respite to rebuild their lives. Temporary Protected Status embodies the United States’ commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of the global community and providing them with a lifeline during times of great distress.

By excluding these individuals, the Biden administration exposes them to the same crises that TPS recipients are shielded from, which is illogical. This missed opportunity highlights a lack of true leadership and courage. The pursuit for #TPSJustice persists, and President Biden can still take action by re-designating today.

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Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the first grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. Founded in 2002, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.chesapeakeclimate.org

New Documents Shed Light on Dominion’s Misleading “Peaker Plant” Plan

Documents Suggest Dominion Plans to Run Chesterfield Power Plant Far More Than “Peaker” Status Would Imply

Proposal Aligns with Youngkin Energy Plan, Undercutting VA Climate Goals

RICHMOND, VA—Dominion Energy recently submitted an air pollution permit application for its proposed “Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center” (CERC) that includes information suggesting it would generate far more emissions than its supposed “peaker plant” status would suggest. Environmental groups say that the company is taking advantage of Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Energy Plan in order to build unnecessary new fossil-fuel infrastructure that will burden ratepayers for years and contribute to the escalating climate crisis. 

Dominion Energy’s proposed plant would build four new gas generators totaling 1,000 MW of nameplate capacity, even as they are beholden to state law that mandates a move to 100% clean electricity. The company claims that it will be necessary as the state transitions to renewable energy, repeatedly referring to the project as a “peaker” plant.

Yet this may be a misnomer. Peaker plants are commonly defined as power plants that run less than 10% of the time. They are intended to turn on and off quickly to meet spikes in electricity demand. Yet Dominion’s permit calls for plans to operate each of the four turbines for 3240 hours — which is the equivalent of 135 full 24-hour days, or 37% of the year.

The Youngkin Administration’s Department of Environmental Quality will report on the Chesterfield plant to the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board on September 13.

“The proposal for this plant makes clear that Dominion has thrown their weight behind Governor Youngkin’s regressive energy plan, and they have intentionally or unintentionally misled the communities closest to the pollution,” said Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The Chesterfield plant is nothing more than an excuse to build another expensive capital-intensive fossil fuel project. Dominion’s ratepayers, who will be on the hook for this project, deserve the truth about this massive polluter.”

Governor Youngkin is also continuing forward on his agenda to illegally remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a highly popular program to reduce climate pollution and fund climate adaptation. Youngkin’s move was approved by the Air Board earlier this year.

The proposed pollution output will be 2,213,100 tons of CO2 equivalent, a full 13% increase in Dominion’s total emissions in its entire service territory—including North Carolina. Such a plan is in line with Governor Youngkin’s backwards Energy Plan for Virginia at the same time as it undercuts President Biden’s national climate goals of reducing greenhouse gasses 50% by 2030.

“This community has endured close to 80 years of air and water pollution associated with Dominion’s recently retired coal plant,” said Nicole Martin, President of the Chesterfield NAACP.  “They don’t deserve to be burdened with another polluting fossil fuel power plant in their backyard when alternatives exist.”

“We just experienced the hottest summer in human history, and Dominion Energy is proposing to double its climate pollution over the next 25 years,” said Glen Besa, a resident of Chesterfield County.  “This methane gas power plant is Dominion’s down payment on an investment in climate chaos. Dominion Energy’s CEO, Bob Blue, is clearly putting greed and short term corporate profits over the well being of our children, of future generations.”

The key section, from the Project Emissions Summary of the permit application (page 3-1):

Potential emissions for the SCCTs [Simple-Cycle Combustion Turbine] are presented for each annual operating scenario based on each SCCT operating for 3,240 hours per year of normal operation including 750 hours per year firing fuel oil. The SCCTs will be equipped with SCR and oxidation catalyst to control NOx, CO, and VOC emissions. Additionally, potential emissions include emissions based on each SCCT operating for 500 SUSD events which equates to an additional 1,500 hr/yr of operation for all four SCCTs during SUSD events.

Implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a cornerstone of Biden’s climate strategy, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 through investments into renewable energy technologies, comprising the majority of his climate goals. In fact, the IRA provides a new tax credit for stand-alone battery storage, which, when paired with utility-scale wind and solar, leads to electricity 2.5 times less expensive than that provided by “best case” peaker plant.

The Chesterfield Gas Plant proposal not only flies in the face of Biden’s climate objectives but also contradicts the trajectory of progress needed to combat climate change effectively. This plant is emblematic of Governor Youngkin’s misguided pro-fossil fuel energy policies, which appear to have been crafted to cater to a national Republican base but are out of step with Virginia voters, who are calling for climate solutions. Polling shows an overwhelming majority of Virginia voters support staying in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, including a plurality of Republicans. Governor Youngkin has attempted to pull the state out of the program, a move that is currently being challenged in court.

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

Contact: 
Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director, victoria@chesapeakeclimate.org, 201-937-7017
KC Chartrand, Communications Director, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-620-7144