Six conservation groups have written the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requesting a meeting with the agency concerning forthcoming water certification requests from Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC (MVP, LLC) for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project. The February 12 letter to DEQ Director David Paylor noted that MVP,
Pipeline bills progress in the Virginia General Assembly
Two measures designed to improve state oversight of natural gas pipelines have now passed the Virginia Senate and are headed for floor consideration in the House of Delegates.
- SB1265, sponsored by Sen. Deeds, authorizes the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to conduct inspections of land-disturbing activities related to construction of any natural gas transmission pipeline equal to or greater than 24 inches inside diameter.
2020 Census Expected to Significantly Impact Congressional Representation
Results of the 2020 U.S. Census are expected to be released by or before April 30, according to a recent statement by the acting director of the Census Bureau. The Census results will become the basis of the once-a-decade reapportionment of the 435 seats in the U.S.
ABRA members file comments with FERC about ACP restoration issues
Fifteen conservation groups, including 9 ABRA members, filed comments on February 9, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to raise concerns over the plan recently submitted to the agency by Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC (Atlantic) on how the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) route would be restored.
Coalition seeks to educate investment community about funding MVP
The DivestMVP coalition is seeking new members in its effort to educate the banking and investing community about the threat the Mountain Valley Pipeline poses to communities, waters, lands and climate as well as the losing economics of this project that’s $3 Billion over budget and 3 years behind schedule.
Leading credit rating firm voices concerns about the MVP
Fitch Ratings, one of the leading firms that provides credit ratings, commentary and economic research, has voiced doubts about the viability of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. In a January 28 issue of its Fitch Wire, the firm stated:
President Joe Biden’s executive order that revoked Keystone XL’s Presidential Permit may be an indicator of his administration’s aversion to long-distance projects in US midstream energy,
Legislation on gold mining progresses in Virginia General Assembly
A bill that would direct state agencies to evaluate the environmental threats posed by gold mining in Virginia was approved February 5 by the Virginia House of Delegates. The vote was 55 in favor, 45 against. HB 2213, a measure spearheaded by ABRA member Friends of Buckingham,
Duke IRPs overstate likely future demand growth
Forecasts used by Duke Energy that predict steadily rising demand for electricity in the Carolinas ignore the company’s sales history in the past 15 years, which have been essentially flat, and should be challenged by state regulators, according to a new study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Dominion Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan Deemed Insufficient
Dominion Energy’s proposed integrated resource plan, filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) on May 1, 2020, has been rejected as insufficient. The plan was to have included information related to the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) enacted by the General Assembly in 2020.
President Biden appoints new FERC Chair
President Biden has named Richard Glick to serve as Chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The action was announced on the morning of the President’s first full-day in office, January 21. Glick, a Democrat, has been a FERC Commissioner since 2017 and has supported positions advocated by ABRA and its member organizations.