Ahead of key hearing, students and parents deliver youth artwork, nearly 1,000 petitions to utility’s Richmond offices in opposition to Brunswick plant
Dominion urged to go beyond token ‘green’ efforts and make a serious plan to cut its carbon pollution
RICHMOND—A group of Virginia parents and students observed Earth Day today by delivering youth-created artwork and nearly 1,000 petitions to Dominion Virginia Power’s Richmond offices. Ahead of a key public hearing, they are calling on the utility to reconsider a proposal to build another fossil fuel-burning power plant in Brunswick County and instead make an immediate plan to reduce its destructive carbon footprint, which threatens the health and future of children in Virginia.
To see a collection of photo petitions from Virginia youth displayed at Dominion’s offices, click here. To view more youth photo petitions, click here.
“I want Dominion to take meaningful climate action for my future, not build another gas-burning power plant,” said Arthur Kay, a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. “As it stands, Dominion is Virginia’s biggest emitter of the carbon pollution destroying a livable future for my generation and those to come, with no real plan to stop.”
On Wednesday, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) will hold a public hearing in Richmond to consider Dominion’s application to build a massive new gas-fired power plant in Brunswick County, which would emit as much carbon pollution each year as half a million cars. Concerned Virginians are urging Dominion and the SCC to instead embrace lower-cost investments in energy efficiency, which could more than offset the energy demand the Brunswick plant would meet, while creating more Virginia jobs and advancing climate change solutions.
“Dominion’s plan would lock us into decades of more climate pollution, when our kids can’t afford an ounce more,” said Stephen Vandivere, a parent and Dominion customer from Centreville. “Meanwhile, the company touts token ‘green’ efforts like tree-planting in our schools. That doesn’t cut it for parents like me. We need real, large-scale investments in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies from Dominion.”
Despite running ads and PR projects like “Project Plant It!” to hype its “green” credentials, Dominion is Virginia’s biggest emitter of the planet-warming pollution threatening to destroy a livable climate for today’s youth and future generations. The delivery of artwork and petitions today was the continuation of a month-long campaign called Project Planet, in which Virginia youth, parents and grandparents are calling on Dominion to go beyond token “green” efforts and make a serious commitment to reduce its climate pollution.
“The climate crisis demands a new direction from Dominion,” said Beth Kemler, Virginia State Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network. “The latest data shows we must keep at least two-thirds of all known fossil fuels in the ground to have a chance at a safe climate. Dominion’s massive new gas-burner in Brunswick County would move us further in the wrong direction, even as Virginians experience flooded homes from rising seas and property damage from more and more intense storms caused by climate disruption.”
In addition to urging the State Corporation Commission to reject Dominion’s application for the Brunswick plant, the petitioners hope to influence the make up of Dominion’s next 15-year energy plan, due to state regulators by September 1. Dominion’s most recent long-term energy plan relies overwhelmingly on fossil fuel projects, including the proposed Brunswick County plant, while including a minuscule increase in renewable energy.
Contact:
Beth Kemler, 804-335-0915, beth@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org
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The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to build and mobilize a powerful grassroots movement in this unique region that surrounds our nation’s capital to call for state, national and international policies that will put us on a path to climate stability.
