Pam Solo and Grant Smith: Solyndra and the real risk to American taxpayers

Contributors

The bankruptcy of Solyndra, a solar company that received a federal loan guarantee, has made the front page because of charges of cronyism. But among the biggest risks to taxpayers, who underwrite federal loan guarantees, isn’t renewable energy. It is nuclear power. The Department of Energy declared its intent to conditionally issue a loan guarantee…

EMU sustainability video wins award

Contributors

Eastern Mennonite University has been honored as a winner of the National Wildlife Federation’s annual competition “Chill Out: Climate Action on Campus.” This award program recognizes U.S. schools that are designing and implementing creative approaches to advance sustainability on campuses. EMU is one of six winning schools that were chosen from a national pool of…

McDonnell backs congressional effort to proceed with offshore drilling

Chris Graham

Gov. Bob McDonnell said Tuesday that he backs Washington Republican Congressman Doc Hastings’ effort to require the Department of Interior to proceed with the sale of offshore energy leases in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia that had been scheduled for June 2012. The Obama administration has put the sale off…

Webb: Investments in nuclear will boost economy

Chris Graham

Sen. Jim Webb is on board with President Obama’s push for new investments in nuclear energy. “These investments in nuclear energy technologies will help invigorate the U.S. economy and expand access to clean, domestic energy,” Webb, D-Va., said today. “They are going to keep the United States competitive in a global marketplace that has accelerated…

Grants promote technology, manufacturing education

Chris Graham

Exactly one year since its official kick off, the Dream It. Do It. Virginia-Shenandoah Valley campaign announces mini-grant recipients to help connect Valley students with careers in advanced technology and manufacturing. Fifteen mini-grant recipients will receive a total of $95,904 to implement activities that encourage students to explore careers in manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, construction,…

Michael Mariotte: Foreign bailouts on the horizon?

Contributors

American taxpayers bailed out the banks. They bailed out auto manufacturers. But at least they were our banks and automakers. Now, taxpayers are once again being asked to lend a hand. This time it’s to subsidize multi-billion-dollar foreign companies with names like Toshiba, Hitachi and Areva. If the going gets rough for them, taxpayers will…

Busy building at EMU

Jim Bishop

A quiet campus at Eastern Mennonite University? Not at all, especially this summer, with outside groups and auxiliary programs stretching the facilities non-stop from early May through mid-August and several major capital improvement projects happening simultaneously. The biggest project: what is being called “Phase II” of the University Commons, a $2.4 million funded project that…

Webb announces nuclear initiative

Chris Graham

Edited by Chris Graham [email protected]   U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., joined Virginia-based Babcock & Wilcox Nuclear Energy Inc. and Bechtel Power Corporation on Wednesday to announce a formal alliance to design, license and deploy the world’s first commercially viable Generation III++ small modular nuclear power plant. Design work for the small modular reactors will…

Going green to put more green into the Valley economy

Contributors

Story by Chris Graham [email protected]   Don’t call Bob Satterwhite and ask him to line you up with a green job. It’s not quite to that level yet, but the $5 million federal grant to the Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board announced earlier this year is moving us in the direction of being on the…