The State Corporation Commission yesterday agreed that there was a ‘need’ for a 500Kv powerline to run through Virginia. Now the construction of the line hinges on the decision of Pennsylvania judges who have atleast temporarily put a halt its construction through their state based on the argument that the line is not needed but rather is a mechanism to increase profits for the power company.
Dominion originally proposed a path that traversed the Virginia countryside, appropriately described by the Prince William County Board of Supervisors as ‘a drunken sailor looking for port.’ That path crossed hundreds of acres of conservation easements, crossed in close proximity to school sites and ran directly through the newly constructed Toll Brothers Country Club in Dominion Valley. They have since replaced that path with a longer one that runs on existing utility easements but will ruin the viewshed of the Manassas Battlefield.
Then as a further affront to the citizenry of Virginia, Governor Kaine puts the fox in charge of the hen house with his appointment of a Dominion attorney to the State Corporation Commission, effectively handing over the keys to the electric company to proceed at will in the Commonwealth.
#1 – link to this story?
#2 – like it or not, the current power grid will not be able to provide enough electricity to NOrthern Virginia and surrounding areas come 2010-2012. Rolling brownouts/blackouts will be the norm as our need for energy grows and the supply/distribution of it is limited.
Now while underground electric lines are optimal, for they obstruct no views – they are far more costly and take longer to establish. Like it or not, these lines are a necessary evil lest the populous start screaming even louder asking why their LCD TVs and Wii’s won’t run…or can only run for short blips because power supply is sporadic.
Heck – even WTOP has had styories telling people to begin expecting rolling brownouts/blackouts starting in 2009.
Not Me, Bubba,
The answer needs to be something other than BURN MORE COAL. Secondly, look at Dominion’s profitability then tell me again about how expensive burying the powerline would be. Secondly, as a homeowner that was on an almost direct path with the original path, tell me why I should experience an un-reimbursed loss in my property value for the benefit of a Fortune 500 Companies bottom line?
“The answer needs to be something other than BURN MORE COAL. ”
Okay, so what do you propose? I will wholeheartedly agree with you that coal burning is neither environmentally sound nor the best use of coal. But where then do you propose we get the energy? Nuclear? As one who doesn’t want power lines in her backyard, you can imagine the NIMBY response to a nuclear power plant.
“Secondly, look at Dominion’s profitability then tell me again about how expensive burying the powerline would be.”
Because Dominion makes a profit, they shoudl always do the most expensive thing? They’re a business and they’ll go the cheapest route possible – but you overlooked my other point – TIME. As we will be experiencing rolling blackouts/brownouts in the very near future, it takes a LOT LESS time to put up power lines than it does to bury them. And while you may think doing the more expensive option of burying the lines is best – may i remind you that for projects such as this – power comapnies do not dip into their profits to pay – they pass the bill onto the consumer. I pay a fortune already for energy in thsi age of stagnated/decreasing wages and rising costs. I will not take kindly to an increase in my electric bill – even when i already have reduced my energy consumption!
“Secondly, as a homeowner that was on an almost direct path with the original path, tell me why I should experience an un-reimbursed loss in my property value for the benefit of a Fortune 500 Companies bottom line?”
Would you prefer a nuclear plant in your backyard? I can sympathize to your dillemma as to your housing value. I have seen my housing dollar value drop substantially because so many people were given mortgages they could not afford. As one who lives in Manassas Park, you can understand that i am very well aware of declining housing values. But life sucks and sometimes you have to just suck it up and deal. I wouldn’t want power lines in my backyard either. But who’s backyard do you propose they cross?
Cross behind my house but just compensate me for it. The utility company was only going to pay for the right-of-way not the loss in value which doesn’t seem equitable.
There has been a nuclear power plant approved in Maryland. Prince William County.
To the best of my understanding of the issue Virginia is exporting electricity, so how about we stop doing that, build facilities close to their targeted areas instead of having hundreds of miles of lines that aren’t a particularly efficient means to move electricity.
We need to change the way we do business by encouraging more ‘green’ building.
The County adopted a resolution about conservation and I’d like an update to know what exactly they have done it that regard.
One last thing, Bubba, we have lost 175,000 in value of our home over the past few years and IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY NEIGHBORS.
“Cross behind my house but just compensate me for it. The utility company was only going to pay for the right-of-way not the loss in value which doesn’t seem equitable.”
Excellent idea – we should bill everyone who threatens our housing values….I have a long list of people I would like to invoice. However I can hope on reimbursement in one hand and defacate in the other and see which one gets full first….
“There has been a nuclear power plant approved in Maryland. Prince William County.”
And how do you think the people who live around those approved plants feel? I imagine they feel the same as you do about your unsightly powerlines. Maybe you should contact your local building supervisor…ROTFLMAO.
“To the best of my understanding of the issue Virginia is exporting electricity, so how about we stop doing that, build facilities close to their targeted areas instead of having hundreds of miles of lines that aren’t a particularly efficient means to move electricity.”
And from where do you propose the money come for these plants? I happen to know that the cost of constructing a coal burning plant is 4-5 billion dollars. A Nuclear Plant will run you even more to the tune of 10-12 billion dollars. Where is the $$$$ going top come from to build all these localized power plants? We just handed banks 700+billion of taxpayer dollars…. Furthermore, you do realize that the more plants you build, the more coal you will have to burn, right? If every municipality had its own power plant, not only would pollution levels be strangling, but energy consumption would go UP because energy would be “local and cheap” Conservation does not save energy – it promotes its consumption – for every megawatt of energy saved there is a person/device who has a new use for it.
So while you think miles of power lines is inefficient – it’s FAR more efficient than multitudes of small power plants consuming greater amounts of coal dotting the landscape.
“We need to change the way we do business by encouraging more ‘green’ building.”
And how do we do that? every product you consume, every thing you buy is made from oil or fossil-fueled energy. Heck – the computer upon which you type is made from oil (plastic) and is supplied with power from a coal-burning plant….same goes for the servers who host this blog and every user out there. More “green” building takes MORE energy to produce because more precautions have to be made to ensure it is “green” I am all for energy-efficient living and protecting our fragile world. But when people wax poetic about being “green” as if they’re Kermit the Frog, seldom do they have any inkling as to what that will take. For Starters read “Gusher of Lies” by Robert Bryce and see how difficult the road is to energy independence and “green” living.
“The County adopted a resolution about conservation and I’d like an update to know what exactly they have done it that regard.”
The county, in like all it does, hasn’t a friggin clue 98% of the time.
“One last thing, Bubba, we have lost 175,000 in value of our home over the past few years and IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY NEIGHBORS.”
How nice for you. In my neighborhood it’s quite the opposite. Seems as if quite a load of exotic financing was dumped on our neighborhood and many people took on those loans. Many have since left in the dead of night, leaving their homes vacant and trashed.
How fortunate for you your housing value hasn’t fallen because of the people around you. You should count your blessings.
Time to write to Gov. KAINE!!!!!
Well BUBBA, why not give us some SOLUTIONS? We already KNOW the problems.
Subject: Del. Bob Marshall Urges Appeal of SCC Power Line decision
Contact Del Bob Marshall 703-853-4213
I intend to ask the Attorney General to appeal this decision to the VA Supreme
Court.
Furthermore, I do not agree with the two SCC commissioners’ reading of the
Virginia power statute that the General Assembly in effect gave away the
authority to regulate the placement of transmission lines out of the hands of
the SCC, and instead gave it to to a private entity (PJM) because that would be
an unconstitutional delegation of public authority which the General Assembly
CANNOT do.
Commissioner Shannon points out that “the PJM process may result in overbuilding
transmission versus other alternatives, with the accompaniing costs being born
by the rate payers and the appearance of the VIrginia landscape being adveresly
affected.”
A regulatory process that intentionally wastes limited citizen resources is
unconscionable.
It is clear this transmission line is NOT for the benefit of Virginia electric
power consumers becase even the Virginia SCC grants only preliminary approval to
the line dependent upon the actions of Pennsylvania.
No such labdication of egislative intent was ever discussed as part of the
deregulation bill which passed the General Assembly several years ago, and I
doubt it would have passed if that were the clear legislaive intent.
So, I will ask Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell to appeal this
decision.
Further, and I will once again urge local governments and citizens adveresly
affected by this decision to use the authority of the statute I authored to
request that the SCC require that portions of the line be placed underground if
final approval is given so we can protect Virginia’s beautiful landscape even if
Congress has approved and finds acceptable a regulatory process that
intentionally wastes the taxes and private resources of Virginia citizens.
“Well BUBBA, why not give us some SOLUTIONS? We already KNOW the problems.”
I’m not the one screaming about power lines in my backyard, to then wholly admit that it isn’t so much the unsightlyness of the power lines that is the great offense, but the decline in property values and lack of compensation for which is the REAL issue….
Did anyone ever stop to think that Dominion Power is exporting electric to PA because PA is giving VA a deal on COAL – which is essential for electricity generation???? Interstate trade anyone? PA sells us coal, we in turn sell them electricity from said coal, from the profit of electricity sales, we can build a new plant or two to help offset the very REAL energy crisis that is looming (See: Rolling Blackouts/brownouts beginning 2010) because NOBODY is reducing their energy consumption.
Yeah – power lines are ugly. But that sight will be nothing compared to the sights and sounds of people who find themsleves on the short end of the cord and cannot power up their lifestyles because the grid is maxed out.
Solutions? YOu want solutions? Buy energy efficient appliances and devices and DO NOT invest in such luxuries as HiDef TV’s, dual/triple AC units, etc… Unplug all charging devices when finished with them. Turn off your lights when not using them. NOw – if we can get everyone in the mid-atlantic region to do this we may make a dent and electricity may not need to be exported to PA, or new plants built. But see….there are other regions around us that may see our power supply (if we all conserve) as something they can tap into – so we’d need the whole north American continent to reduce energy consumption for this plan to work. But since this is reality and not lala land, fat chance of THAT.
If you really want to be energy independent and green, walk to wherever, burn candles for lighting, wash and dry your clothes by hand and read for entertainment. The rest is all lip service and does nothing to conserve or be green.
I’ve been involved in energy issues for years now…there are no simple solutions and in my studies going green consumes far more energy and causes more pollution than by existing standards. Nobody wants to hear that though…they want their megawatt lifestyles with pastoral landscapes outside their door. Unfortunately that leaves no space for REALITY.
And FWIW – neither presidential candidate gets it. McCain has the sack to stand up to the ethanol/corn lobby (quite BIG), but he refuses to look into other energy alternatives. Obama embraces the ethanol crowd, while alienating the petrol giants who will be fueling our lives for the foreseeable future…and placing a lot of hope in “alternatives” But hope in one hand and poop in the other and you still don’t have a solution. This country will never be energy independent like it once was prior to 1970 – when US oil production peaked. we had our chance to make strides with Carter’s initiatives. We got Ronnie Raygun instead and we have inherited his clusterphuck of energy dependence.
Bubba,
Actually, that nuclear power plant approval did not have residents up in arms, not sure if it was the location? But that was the story in the Post. Let me see if I can find more information.
Well an approval isn’t the same as an actual plant…
Plenty of approvals for construction near my house….and still, years later no construction. It isn’t until construction begins people wake up and say, “HEY NOW!”
Such is the nature of the beast.
FYI:
“Actually, that nuclear power plant approval did not have residents up in arms, not sure if it was the location? But that was the story in the Post. Let me see if I can find more information.”
I couldn’t find anything on a nuclear plant, but did find info on a natural gas power plant:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/18/AR2008031802969.html
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/vagupnova/novapowerplants.html
Why can’t power lines run underground when they come to Manassas Battlefield?
“Why can’t power lines run underground when they come to Manassas Battlefield?”
They can. Dominion doesn’t want to pay for that. Furthermore, the issue of time is at hand – it takes longer for lines to be run underground than it does to hang them from above.
Time is money dontchaknow….
Why can’t “we” make them run ALL the lines underground? (I’m really ignorant on this subject which is why I asked you for solutions, Bubba.)
Well, the reason is money and zoning. YOU cannot run a high voltage line underground through everywhere. Thanks to unhinged development in NoVA and the East Coast – people built and then thought about resources later. Developers didn’t care about the grid, roads or schools – their motive was in development profit. So now we’re faced with upcoming energy shortages because of greed and profit.
But getting back to answer your question, it’s far easier to hang lines close to a development than to have to dig and possibly interfere with telecom lines, sewer lines, etc. If that infrastructure already exists underground, good luck laying lines…. As for rural areas, not all land is condusive to underground lines. See some of the rocky formations east on 66? Good luck burying power lines in rubble. Also it is easier to maintain powe lines aboveground. You don’t have to dig them up….and you can visually see if there is damage or breakage.
Lastly, as for the Battlefield…since that is historic land, digging may disrupt some archaeological sites and graves….thereby adding more time for proper excavation of said sites and laying the lines.
I truly sympathize with people now having to look at power lines when they get up in the AM. There is no easy solution to any of this, and regardless of what anyone wants, the energy crisis is going to get worse before it gets better (if ever).
Thanks, Bubba! That clarifies it a lot. Sound like a catch 22.
You know what’s weird is I grew up with power lines all around me. You know….we would climb telephone poles and throw our old sneakers up there (okay, not me…..my parents would have killed me). When I came here ten years ago, a friend from up north said, “Hey! You have no telephone poles!” HUH. It never even dawned me. I guess I was just used to seeing them.
Thanks, Bubba! That clarifies it a lot. Sound like a catch 22.
You know what’s weird is I grew up with power lines all around me. You know….we would climb telephone poles and throw our old sneakers up there (okay, not me…..my parents would have killed me). When I came here ten years ago, a friend from up north said, “Hey! You have no telephone poles!” HUH. It never even dawned me. I guess I was just used to seeing them.