Published: June 27, 2008 08:13 pm      

Dominion Power plant gets go ahead from Virginia Air Pollution Control Board

RICHLANDS, Va. — Leaders from Southwest Virginia’s educational and political arenas expressed appreciation for the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board for the 5-0 decision the board rendered on Wednesday that gives conditional approval to Dominion Virginia Power to build a $1.8 billion coal-fired power plant in Virginia City, Wise County, Va.

“I went to the public hearing and signed up to speak, but I had to return to campus for a board meeting before I got the opportunity to express my thoughts,” Dr. Mark Estepp, president of Southwest Virginia Community Center said. “I think it’s productive when people on all sides of an issue speak out to share their views.”

Estepp said that while he was at the public hearing, the comments were running about 10-1 in favor of Dominion’s proposed Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise. “People on both sides of the issue spoke with passion and compassion,” Estepp said. “In no way are we saying that a coal-fired plant won’t pollute, but we can’t afford to sit back and do nothing. Southwest Virginia needs the jobs, Virginia needs the energy and the U.S., needs the technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions.”

Estepp said SVCC has developed a Construction Trades Academy to help provide skilled workers to build the plant that is expected to create 800 jobs during the construction phase. “Hopefully, we’ll have additional training available to prepare some of the 75 workers they will need to operate the plant,” Estepp said. The plant project is also projected to create 250 coal mining jobs, according to an Associated Press report.

“There is no way we can produce enough energy with wind, solar or saw grass to meet the nation’s energy needs,” Estepp said. “We need to be responsible in our use of energy, and we need to find ways to remove more pollution from coal-fired power plants.”

State Senator Phillip P. Puckett, D-Russell said that he spoke with Dominion Virginia Power officials Thursday morning and said they are examining the requirements for improving the clean-coal technology at the plant.

“I just think it’s a win-win situation for people of Wise County, Southwest Virginia and all of us,” Puckett said. “I think that we have to keep in mind that 51 percent of everything we do from an energy standpoint comes from coal, and that’s something that should be important to all Americans.

“Not only will this plant bring jobs to our region, it will also serve as a proving ground for the new generation of clean-coal technology,” Puckett said. “I think this plant can become a showcase for clean-coal technology. I think we can make a difference here.”

Dominion Virginia Power hopes to have the plant on line by 2012.

— Contact Bill Archer at barcher@bdtonline.com