There were bright spots and not-so-bright spots in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly session.
Blog Archives
Engaged activists get bipartisan wins in 2024 General Assembly session
TAGS: clean energy cyanide disconnection protections regional greenhouse gas initiative shared solar Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia General Assembly
Proposals to put new nuclear reactors near coal mine sites ignore geological hazards
In October 2022, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a goal of building a new nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia within the next 10 years, setting off a flurry of excitement among local economic development officials and outrage among local residents who are concerned about the health and safety risks of nuclear power.
TAGS: Dominion Energy Gov. Glenn Youngkin LENOWISCO Planning District Commission mine reclamation nuclear waste Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Wins and losses in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly session
Even with the short session, Appalachian Voices’ capitol team had a lot to keep track of, with a number of bills we were hoping to convince legislators to support — and quite a few we were hoping to convince them to vote down.
TAGS: Affordable Energy Act brightfields cyanide gold mining regional greenhouse gas initiative shared solar Small Modular Nuclear Reactors utility shutoffs Virginia General Assembly Virginia Power Innovation Fund
Local citizen groups express concerns about nuclear development
The announcement comes as a surprise to many key stakeholders in the region, and no local citizen groups were informed about the governor’s visit — nor have any been invited to participate in the planning of the location and development of the new energy infrastructure.
TAGS: Appalachian Citizens Law Center Clinch Coalition Gov. Glenn Youngkin Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards Virginia Energy Plan
