Demonstrators outside Chamber energy conference question Dominion’s failure to act on climate

Demonstrators outside the Virginia Chamber of Commerce’s Energy and Sustainability Conference this morning met conference attendees with signs like “Dominion – Global Warming starts here” and other signs urging the state’s largest utility to quit its membership in ALEC-the American Legislative Executive Council – a corporate trade organization that actively opposes state and federal policy measures to address climate change.

“Climate change is real and people expect their government officials and responsible corporate leaders to take action to reduce carbon pollution to protect us and our children from sea level rise, droughts and more frequent, more powerful extreme weather events,” said Glen Besa, Director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter that organized the demonstration.

“Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell and Dominion Virginia Power President Robert Blue give lip service to climate change but their company intends to increase, not decrease, its carbon pollution from electricity generation by more than 30% over the next 15 years,” said Besa, “and that does not include the climate impacts from the massive new fracked gas pipeline they are pursuing. Their plans are irresponsible and wrong.”

“As a member of ALEC, Dominion supports lobbying efforts to obstruct government actions and policies to reduce carbon pollution and address climate change,” said Besa. “We’re here today to call Dominion out on its climate harming policies and to call on them to quit ALEC.”

Update: 9:26 p.m. Statement from Dominion Virginia Power “Glen Besa and the Sierra Club are doing what they do best – creating shrill arguments and staged protests to draw attention to themselves in order to raise money to pay their staff,” said David Botkins, spokesman for Dominion Virginia Power.  “Dominion is a national leader in renewable energy development, emissions free nuclear power, home-grown solar, and keeping the lights on for all Virginians – including the Virginia Sierra Club.  We appreciate their participation in the energy policy dialogue, but they never let facts get in their way.”