Dear Friends and Neighbors,
First, a very quick advertisement.
I will be kicking off my second
annual informal office hours starting this
Saturday (August 11th) at Main Street Bagel
from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Come join me for a cup of
coffee to talk about issues and to ask
questions about legislation affecting our
community. The format is casual and no
appointment is needed. Please visit my
website for additional dates.
During weeks like this it is easy to
visualize the enormous strain on our
electric grid as air conditioners work
overtime to keep us cool. However, with
demand for electricity in Northern Virginia
jumping by 40% in the last decade, our
system is increasingly strained even under
normal conditions. Regardless of
why it is important (proposed new
transmission lines, energy independence for
national security reasons, global warming,
etc.), most people agree that it is
important to have a meaningful energy plan.
Over the next few months, you will
begin to hear about Virginia’s
proposed new energy plan. Last
month I had an opportunity to meet with Mr.
Stephen A. Waltz, the Governor’s Senior
Advisor for Energy Policy, to get an update
on the planning effort and what mean it
might mean to Northern Virginians. As
with many initiatives, the original bill
passed by the General
Assembly (SB262) contained wonderful
language. Included among the 12 policy
statements is to “Ensure that the
combination of energy supplies and
energy-saving systems are sufficient to
support the demands of economic
growth.” Further down the list is
to “Promote the generation of
electricity through technologies that do not
contribute to greenhouse gases and global
warming.” All good stuff –
but just words on paper.
Making this a particularly important
effort for Virginia is the fact that we are
a net energy importer – by about 1,200
trillion BTUs annually! Put
another way, it is projected that Virginia
will import 60% of its energy by 2016 if we
do nothing.
So what proposals are on the table?
Energy conservation comes
first. The plan sets a goal
of reducing consumption by 10% by the year
2022. Although modest, the goal should
be considered in the context that Virginia
is expected to grow by more than 700,000
people between 2010 and 2020.
Remarkably, if the goal is achieved,
consumers are projected to experience
a gross savings of $9
billion over the life of the
investments. While it is not possible
to list all of the strategies, some of the
larger initiatives include expansion of tax
incentives for energy efficient appliances,
new requirements for electric utilities to
implement conservation programs, improved
energy efficiency standards for new
buildings, and expansion of Virginia’s
existing Weatherization Assistance
Program. One proposal is to make
meeting energy conservation goals an explicit
component of the local government
development approval process.
Next is the development of
alternative domestic fuels.
Sample strategies include
low-cost loans for investments in
alternative energy facilities, an increase in
the use of waste-to-energy technology, the
development of on-shore and off-shore wind
power (one wind farm proposal for the
Virginia coast could generate up to 10% of
Virginia’s power), and incentives to
promote the development and use of
biofuels. Apparently, algae is being
eyed as an even better base for biofuel than
some of the existing alternatives.
Excess algae growth is a major cause of the
decline of the Chesapeake Bay. Who
would imagine that it might one day be
profitable to harvest algae for fuel, while
at the same time helping to clean the
Chesapeake Bay. Very cool!
Finally, the draft plan also addresses
needed improvements to the
State’s gas and electric transmission
infrastructure.
Given the enormous challenges ahead, I am
glad that Virginia is taking these first
steps – and I hope that they
won’t be our last. In the
southeast, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, North
Carolina, and Texas have already adopted
plans. Unfortunately, implementation
isn’t inexpensive. It is
estimated that about $35 million will be
needed annually from a mix of public and
private investment to implement energy
conservation initiatives alone. It will
be vitally important to ensure transparency
and accountability as we move forward –
so that the consumers who are asked to foot
the initial investment will also share in the
long-term savings.
Worth mentioning is that some of these
ideas are already being implemented.
For instance, the General Assembly passed
legislation this year establishing a
four-day tax holiday for the purchase of
certain appliances that meet Energy Star
qualifications (priced at $2,500
or less per item). This will take place
from October 5-8.
Please don’t hesitate to give me a
call if you would like additional
information. I hope you will also take
the time to explore “The
Virginia Energy Savers
Handbook,” which provides
excellent information on what you can do at
home to save energy, money, and the
environment. Enjoy your Summer!
Sincerely,
David Bulova
Websolutions
by Questox.com