Wise Energy for Virginia —

Please take a moment to write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper about the proposed 1500 megawatt Hampton Roads coal plant. Once you choose a paper below you can choose written talking points that we created or you can add your own language. Its a great idea to call the editor after you send the letter their way to encourage them to put in in the next day's paper.

About Letters to the Editor:

The Letter to the Editor Section is one of the most widely read sections of the newspaper and can reach a large audience. It allows community members to comment on the way issues are being addressed in the media and to influence the topics the local paper may choose to cover. Elected officials often monitor this section of the newspaper and take notice of constituents' opinions.

We've made it easy for you to contact your local newspaper with your views, but editors want to hear from you in your own words. Tips for getting published: In your letter to the editor comment on a relevant article that recently ran in the chosen newspaper. Also, keep your letter 300 words or less.

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Please select a paper in your area.

Step 2 - Write your message

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Click on a point to add it to the letter.

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative's proposal to build a massive $6 billion coal plant near Williamsburg is concerning and out of touch. At a time when Virginia – and the nation – is moving towards a clean energy future, the Cypress Creek coal plant would be a giant step in the wrong direction.

Given the recession, the plant's $6 billion price tag is wildly irresponsible. The cost becomes even more concerning when you consider that it does not take into account an inevitable cap on carbon emissions – something President Obama called for within weeks of taking office -- that will drive up the cost of burning coal.

Coal contributes more to climate change than any other fossil fuel and the Cypress Creek plant will spew out about 15 million tons of global warming pollution – the equivalent of adding nearly 3 million new cars to the road each year. With over 3,000 miles of tidal shoreline, Virginia's coasts from Alexandria to Norfolk are extremely vulnerable to increased storm surges and rising seas caused by climate change. The Hampton Roads area – home to the world’s largest naval station – is second only to New Orleans in its vulnerability to sea level rise.

If we're going to re-power Virginia in a way that's fiscally responsible and addresses the very real threat of climate change, we need to invest in efficiency first and move toward clean and renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power.

An assessment of Virginia's energy efficiency potential conducted by the independent American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) found that by investing in readily available and affordable efficiency measures, Virginia could keep energy use flat until 2025, avoiding the need to build new power plants. Investing in energy efficiency would also create 10,000 new jobs whereas ODEC's plant would only create 150-200 permanent jobs.

The nation stands at a crossroads. Our planet is heating up and our economy is suffering in large part because of our dependence on fossil fuels. We must pass bold climate legislation this year and no plan to address climate change is complete without a moratorium on coal plants that emit global warming pollution. Virginia is considering building two new coal plants – one in Wise County and one in Surry County. Our efforts to stop these controversial coal plants in this coal-reliant state are not only critical for the future of our state, they’re also battles with national implications.

If it proceeds, a plant up to triple the size of Dominion's Wise County operation would be built close to tributaries of the James River and Chesapeake Bay and their sensitive crab and oyster spawning grounds. It would emit toxic smog-producing air pollution just miles from Colonial Williamsburg, spew out millions of tons of global warming pollution, and will deposit harmful amounts of the neurotoxin mercury into our waterways.

Burning coal is one of the leading causes of man-made mercury pollution in the U.S. After mercury is released and enters the air it then comes down with the rain and enters our water ways. After the mercury enters our waterways it accumulates in fish and other animals and people who eat them, causing damage to the brain as well as a number of developmental problems to unborn children and infants. This coal plant will be only 15 miles from the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The largest amount of mercury deposition happens within a 75 mile radius.

Energy from coal is ALWAYS dirty. Much of the coal mined in Virginia comes from mountaintop removal mining. Twenty-nine mountains in Virginia and a quarter (25%) of the land in southwest Virginia’s Wise County have been destroyed as a result of strip mining and mountaintop removal. This is an incredibly devastating mining practice that eliminates jobs, pollutes the air and water, and devastates entire communities. ODEC has said that its Cypress Creek plant is going to get much of its coal from central Appalachia, where most all of the mountaintop removal mining takes place.

This is a critical year both in Virginia and for our nation. We know there are job-creating non-polluting alternatives to coal. Now it’s up to us to make sure we move Virginia towards a clean energy future.

Appalachian Voices, Virginia Field Office • 408 East Market St., Suite 201C, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Office: (434) 293-6373