Ricky Junquera, ricky.junquera@sierraclub.org
RICHMOND, VA -- Yesterday afternoon, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved cost recovery (increasing rates) for Dominion’s Mount Storm coal plant. The request by Dominion Energy was to recover the costs of upgrades, required by federal environmental regulations, to keep the Mt. Storm coal plant operating past 2028. This comes at a time when utilities, such as Dominion, are seeing drastic increases in the price of coal and coal supply shortages. Just last week, the Virginia SCC approved Dominion's request to raise customers' rates by $15/month to cover their increased gas and coal fuel costs.
In response Mary-Stuart Torbeck, State Representative for Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Virginia released the following statement:
“We continue to see commissions approving cost recovery for polluting, coal-fired units at a time when the economic benefit is in closing these units down and transitioning to clean and renewable energy. Continuing to double down on expenditures at aging coal-fired plants like Mt. Storm in West Virginia not only puts the health of neighboring communities in West Virginia at risk but also hurts Virginians who are struggling to keep up with rising utility bills. The conversation nationally has moved beyond coal, now we just need our states and utilities to stop propping up dirty fossil fuels.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.