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
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
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
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
Biden orders review of Trump actions on methane regulation
The rollback of the Obama-era rule designed to reduce climate-warming methane emissions that former President Trump ordered in 2020 is a candidate for revocation under an Executive Order issued January 20 by President Biden. The President’s “Executive Order on Protecting
White House orders freeze on issuance and implementation of new rules
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain issued January 20 a memorandum to the heads of all federal executive departments and agencies directing that new pending rules be held up until the President’s appointees or designees “have the opportunity to
New Environment Secretary chosen in West Virginia
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) announced January 20 the appointment of Harold Ward as Secretary of the Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. He replaces Austin Caperton, who resigned in December. Ward has most recently been Deputy Secretary of Operations
ACP Route Restoration Plan Filed with FERC Leaves Unanswered Questions
A long-awaited restoration plan for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) to address land and forests that were disrupted by the project before it was cancelled in July was filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on January 4. The
Deliberations on Proposed Gold Mine in Buckingham County Continue
A proposed gold mining operation in Buckingham County, VA, first reported in the October 8 issue of ABRA Update, will be the subject of continued deliberation next week. The Buckingham County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission will conduct a
VA DEQ Denies Water Quality Certification for MVP Under Army Corps Plan
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has denied water quality certification under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permit 12 Permit program (NWP12) for any natural gas pipeline “greater than 36 inches inside diameter.” The judgment was part of