According to the Washington Post, Dominion Power is reconsidering various options for stringing a new high voltage power line to Northern Virginia.
Among options Dominion is reconsidering is burying the line, which the utility says would raise the price tag from $300 million to $1.7 billion. We don't think most of Dominion's ratepayers are interested in that.
Another option is to run much of the new line parallel to I-66, an option that may well be worth considering.
Meanwhile, opponents of the line have gotten their local politicians riled up to the point of proposing ridiculous legislation that you rarely see from Republicans. One bill introduced in the legislature would prevent the line from being constructed within 500 feet of a school or home. Hey, why not apply that rule to all infrastructure in the state? Then we'd soon be back to the Stone Age!
Another bill is even more preposterous: require Dominion to compensate any property owner within 2000 feet of the line for "lost views." Let's think about that one. Every time a new mega-mansion gets built in "picturesque" Loudon and Prince William Counties, it messes up the "view" of someone else. Why not require the builder of any new home, office, road or anything else in this area to compensate any other property owner within 2000 feet for despoiling their views? The upside--a measure that would limit growth!
Of course, every person who moves into the rapidly expanding exurbs of western Loudon County wants to be the last one in. They like it, but they don't want further development that will spoil what they liked. Unfortunately, unless you can afford to buy several square miles of land, that's not how it works.
We especially like the folks who complain that even siting the power line along I-66 will "affect tourism and destroy views." Gee, we didn't realize I-66 was considered so picturesque!
Dominion should review it's options, just to make sure it's making the right decision. But it shouldn't change what's best for the vast majority of its ratepayers simply because a few rich crybabies will have to look at a high voltage line. Here's our advice: look the other way.
3 comments:
The claim that only "rich crybabies" are opposing Dominion's plan is simply wrong. There is a broad coalition of groups and individuals, including my organization Virginians for Sensible Energy Policies (VSEP), which is demanding this project be stopped.
VA landowner and actor Robert Duvall accurately disputed this claim, noting, "Some people say that it's the idle rich that are opposing this, but the wealthy can always leave. It's the other people that live here who can't, and these power lines will destroy their way of life. Where else can you live with all this beauty around?”
In addition, the line overloads that Dominion is predicting aren’t due to growth in Northern Virginia but because they wants to ship electricity from dirty coal-fired plants in the Midwest, through Virginia and up to the Northeast. This is purely to increase Dominion’s profits and you and I and every other Dominion ratepayer will be forced to pay the $300 million bill.
VSEP believes that Virginia can meet all of its energy needs through a comprehensive state energy plan that promotes the use of modern technology and energy efficiency not creating more incentives for inefficient and antiquated means of electricity delivery.
Walker's comment would be stronger if he didn't cite Robert Duvall, who sure sounds like the idle rich, for the overstated proposition that Dominion's power line will "destroy [the] way of life" of those who aren't rich.
Destroy their life? Give us a break. It's a power line. Not the prettiest thing in the world, but unless one's way of life consists of sitting on the porch looking out at the Blue Ridge, it's not going to destroy anyone's life.
The Curmudgeon does wholeheartedly support efforts to reduce future electricity demand through conservation and investment in small renewable energy (and we've put our money where our mouth is on this one), but we don't see any evidence to suggest that will happen fast enough to offset the growing demand for power in NoVa.
If, as asserted by Walker, the purpose of the line is really to ship cheap Midwestern electricity to the Northeast, then the Public Service Commission should rightly deny Dominion's application. While we're dubious of such conspiracy theories, Dominion's opponents will have their opportunity to submit their proof on this one.
If opposition to the Dominion line spurs more support for conservation and a more progressive energy policy in Virginia, we're all for it. However, we're not in favor of rolling blackouts and rationing simply because a few folks are concerned about their view.
From what I can ascertain, reliability violations will appear in the grid during the peak demand hours starting in the summer of 2011 thru the summer of 2016. Thereafter, the matter is resolved thru the North Anna nuclear expansion which comes on-line at that time.
In order to satify the violations, Dominion has other non-transmission solutions to resolve the matter. To date, all they have stated is that they are "wishing thinking" (Pres. Paul Koonse 1.18.2007 press release). However, they are still unwilling to release the same info to elected officials who have asked for it repeatedly.
Non-transmission solutions have time constraints just as tranmission, and since Dominion has been sitting on this info since June 23, 2006, they may be right because the time the matter is brought up at the state corporation commission, it may become too late.
Once the North Anna expansion comes on-line, our area and the state will be rich with electricity, and the stated plan it to shipp it north of DC.
What are the non-transmission solutions?
Distributed generation: small low emmission high-efficieny site specific generators. New strategy pushed by DOE. Walmart is a proponent of this, says they can produce their own electricity cheaper. NoVa's explosive growth (biz & pop.) is from Arlington west into Fairfax and Loudoun, same load pockets cited for overload during summer of 2011, but not one such unit was ever built there, but many exist elsewhere.
Superconductors: new aluminum composite lines have 2 to 3 times more carrying capacity and are lighter than traditional lines Dominion uses. Replace old lines on existing towers to releave grid congestion. The Chinese have already bought 800 miles of this stuff.
Demand side mgnt: programmed methods to cut back energy during peak hours during the summer. PJM’s own study released on 1.30.2007 states current DSM reduces only 1.9% off of peak demand, 40% lower than what it was in 1996. Says 3% additional DSM can put off load capacity increases by at least two years!
Technology: data monitoring and metering devices to assist the grid to communicate sending electricity where it is needed most. Although the technology is not commercialized yet, Dominion hasn’t tested anything along these lines, while So.Cal. will have the 1st operational “SmartGrid” by the year 2010 to 2012.
Efficiency programs: for larger industrial, corporate and retail facilities, now only voluntary at a federal level, and neither Dominion nor the state offers a program to assist these facilities to cut energy waste. 70% of energy is consumed by businesses, and lighting is appx. 35% of total electricity used by businesses alone. In fact DOE estimates if 100% participation was met by U.S. businesses, 21,000 MW of electricity could be displaced by CFL’s. That is the equivalent of nearly 12 nuclear power plants the size of the current North Anna facility.
If all available non-transmission solutions were implemented, I can't argue against the line personally, even though the 150'foot towers are proposed across the street from my house.
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