A cooperative formed by Old Dominion Electric announced on Wednesday its plan to build a coal power plant will be delayed. The plan was to build the plant in Hampton Roads and supporters of the delay say it is a sign that Virginia may be on track to experience a future that includes placing a priority on clean energy sources.

Coal is considered one of the ‘dirtiest’ sources of energy available. Halting the current plan to build a coal power plant in Hampton Roads will provide everyone involved the opportunity to consider other ways to serve the energy needs of Virginians. The hope is the cooperative can settle on an energy source that will be less expensive and more friendly to the environment.

The plan to build the $6 billion power plant at a location in Surry County has been opposed by Wise Energy for Virginia since the plan to build the plant was first announced. The organization has been able to garner the support of thousands of Virginians who are concerned with issues like air quality, mercury in state waters, and actions that contribute to global warming.

The ongoing shift from fossil fuels to clean energy sources is picking up steam throughout the United States. A Sierra club report says that more than a hundred plans for coal plants have been scrapped in the country over an eight-year period. It has also been noted that clean energy jobs are growing faster than most other job industries in the country.

In the Hampton Roads case, ODEC says it has no plans to give up on building its Cypress Creek Power Station. The cooperative says it is only pausing to monitor pending regulations concerning greenhouse gas emissions. Opponents of the ODEC plan say no reason exists to think the cooperative will ‘see the light’ without a little encouragement.

Leaders for Wise Energy say it is important for citizen involvement to remain as high as it is now. The organization says it also important that both ODEC and officials at the state and local level understand the importance of energy efficiency. The organization says it would not be difficult to achieve the same energy production with wind, solar, or another sustainable source of energy.

One major factor in the determination shown by Wise Energy in the fight against the plant is the health of Chesapeake Bay. The EPA, a number of states, and other organizations are currently working to clean up the bay. However, the new coal mine would cause 3,000 tons of additional nitrogen oxides to end up in the bay on an annual basis.

The plant would also increase the risk for Virginians who like to eat seafood. The plant would become an immediate producer of large amounts of the neurotoxin mercury that would be dumped into local waters. The carbon footprint for the plant annually would be 11.6 million tons. This would contribute greatly to global warming.

A 2008 report commissioned by the governor on global warning predicted Virginia sea levels would rise from 2.3 feet at the time of the report to 5.2 feet by the turn of the century.

Wise Energy says it was a good decision on the part of ODEC to use the pause button and reconsider its options for the proposed plant. The organization says it is willing to work with ODEC to find cleaner energy alternatives, produce jobs in the community, and keep electricity bills affordable for local citizens.

Wise Energy also says it intends to make sure Cyprus Creek is added to the list of planned coal energy plants that were abandoned.

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The switch to new ways of producing and providing power is an aspect of governance that lawmakers and politicians across the U.S. are looking to learn more about. The Franklin-Southampton region is now looking to take advantage of a Federal Grant that will allow the economic development region to explore the possibilities of creating a Biomass Renewable Energy Center in Franklin, Virginia.

The decision to apply for the $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce which will be dispersed over a two-year period was headed by the Opportunity Inc. group. This investment group was made in conjunction with the Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc. Over the course of the two-year period, the prospect of developing a biomass research center in Franklin would be explored with the development being paid for in part by the grant.

To make sure the proposal submitted meets the rigorous standards of the U.S. Department of Commerce that has been given the task of evaluating and dispersing the grant to groups meeting its requirements. Those involved with the submission of the grant proposal for Franklin and Southampton believe they have good shot at receiving the funding and establishing an alternative fuels center in the state of Virginia.

The idea for developing what has been initially christened the Center for Renewable Biomass Energy Development in the Franklin area with the funds available being used for developmental reasons. The President of the Franklin-Southampton Economic Development Inc., John Smolak explained the decision has yet to be taken over which community will receive a grant and Franklin faces some stiff opposition. Despite the competition, Franklin and Southampton face if they are to receive the grant the group was moving forward with its plans to create a biomass research center in Virginia. The research alone needed to take Franklin and Southampton into the biomass energy era would take more than $500,000.

The idea behind applying for the grant is to provide the group with the ability to conduct as much research as possible into the possibilities on offer for biomass to be produced in the Franklin and Southampton area. One of the most important aspects of the work being completed by the group is the appointment of a research officer they hope will be paid for by the grant. By paying an expert in the development of biomass energy production the funding required, the option of employing an expert to develop the new center and apply for more grants was one that is being explored. In total, the grant would make its way back to the community in many different ways with more research required if the Franklin area is to become a biomass leader.

Rumors have swirled around the Franklin area for a number of months regarding the location of the proposed Center for Renewable Biomass Energy Development. One of the proposed sites is stated as being the current location of the International Paper mill that is thought to be on the verge of partial closure in the coming months.

The infrastructure available at the mill is thought to be favorable for the development of the biomass development center but a note of caution has already been sounded. Those involved in the development of the research center have stated the loss of over 1,000 jobs is possible if the mill were to close and this would be a problem for the community. A decision about the future of the mill has yet to be reached or revealed to the public which means the current situation is not one that can be sustained. Officials at the biomass company explained any loss of jobs from International Paper would make the new venture in renewable energy would be even more important for the future of Virginia as a whole.

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The Southeastern Public Service Authority manages waste for multiple counties. Current localities include Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Fanklin, and Suffolk. For many years, Suffolk County benefited from a sweetheart deal with the SPSA, resulting in zero trash disposal fees. Now Suffolk County has paid over $2 million in solid waste disposal fees over the past year.

SPSA Modifies Its Agreements With Member Communities

On January 25, 2018, SPSA entered into new agreements with its members. Various modifications were made to the past agreements, most of them minor. Suffolk County lost its free disposal agreement with these changes, though. In the past, Suffolk hosted a regional landfill in county limits in exchange for no disposal fees. The county unsurprisingly benefited from this agreement far more than SPSA ever did.

Prior Deal Let Suffolk County Coast and The SPSA Take On Water

However, a deal like this never existed without controversy and consequences. Member communities often criticized the deal as being unfair. Some communities paid SPSA the highest disposal fees in the United States while Suffolk County paid nothing. Also, SPSA itself faced mounting debt that it couldn’t pay off without added revenue. This fact played the biggest role in changing the servicing agreement with Suffolk.

Results One Year After The New Agreements Are Implemented

At a Board of Directors meeting, SPSA’s executive director announced the authority had paid off its debts in full. Less than a year of disposal fees from Suffolk helped the authority conquer its major debt problem. Suffolk paid $2.23 million in waste disposal charges from January 25 through December 31, 2018. On top of that, SPSA has worked to reduce its costs by relying more heavily on Suffolk’s regional landfill.

What Are The Potential Consequences Of These Changes?

Just under 35,500 tons of waste were dumped into the Suffolk landfill in 2017. One year later the landfill received over 100,000 tones of waste. It remains to be seen whether the landfill can sustain increased volume moving forward. Regardless, suffolk County receives $4 per ton of waste disposed at the landfill. While the county paid $2.23 million in disposal fees, it should reap almost $500,000 per year in host fees.

Will Profits Be Put Ahead of Common Sense Now?

The fairly recent change to operating agreements helps Southeastern Public Service Authority fix its financial situation. Nonetheless, some would argue that extra cost-cutting measures do more harm than good. The authority continues to send less waste to the Wheelabrator waste-to-energy plant. Less energy is produced at this plant, and more waste is dumped into Suffolk County’s landfill, which may cause long-term issues.

Agreement Changes With Other Communities Not Noteworthy or Major

New agreements with the other counties weren’t nearly as drastic. The SPSA and member communities did their usual bargaining to come to an agreement. For years, other member communities paid for their waste disposal. Some years they paid the highest fees in the nation for these services, and those communities were never happy. Most SPSA communities will still pay high rates not seen in other parts of the country.

In the end, Southeastern Public Service Authority benefits the most from these changes. The authority went from a mountain of debt to a small cash pile with no debt. Suffolk County may seem like the loser in this deal, but the county benefited from a sweetheart deal for many, many years. Either way, locals shouldn’t expect free waste disposal to return for the county anytime soon. The SPSA appears to have learned its lesson on this one after mounting debt nearly crippled the authority.

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