In Virginia, our legislators appear more than willing to reward energy companies for not following the spirit of the law. Enter Dominion Virginia Power, a behemoth energy company in Virginia who will be receiving a $76 million performance incentive from rate payers over the next two years. Clearly, these actions of Dominion don't correspond with the spirit of Virginia's renewable energy law.
Who's paying for this bonus, anyways? Dominion's residential customers are paying for this bonus while Dominion continues to fill the commonwealth's air with pollutants from natural gas, biomass, coal, and well, you name it. The situation could not be anymore backwards.
Dominion VA Power has stated publicly that it wishes to move in the direction of clean energy. But actions speak louder than words and so far Dominion has an appallingly dismal record of sticking to its public declarations. Would you trust a compulsive liar with safeguarding your energy future?
The bottom line is it's all about the revenue for Dominion. Until our legislators in the VA General Assembly and the executive force Dominion VA Power to finally cede to the spirit of the renewable energy law in Virginia, Dominion will continue to thwart our laws while it further taxes its already financially-strapped customers (and makes them less healthy).
Arguments regarding the high costs of wind and solar energy (wind energy in particular) are no longer a reasonable justification to stall on producing more clean energy. The price of energy per kilowatt hour for wind energy has precipitously declined over the last few years alone. If you take into account the lack of negative health effects stemming from wind energy in particular (i.e. reduced pollutants entering our atmosphere), then the price of this clean energy source is undeniably cheaper than its nonrenewable counterparts. Solar is also well on its way to becoming a vastly cheaper form of clean energy.
If Dominion VA Power truly cares about the health of its customers, the option is clear: go the route of clean energy or we'll find someone who can.
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