Category: Business and Economy
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One Commission to Rule Energy and In the Darkness Bind Us
by Steve Haner A legislative commission created in 2008 to oversee one narrow function of two electric utilities is about to expand its scope of oversight of all forms of energy in Virginia, including nuclear, coal, and natural gas. It will be the legislative counterpart – and counterweight – to the politically independent State Corporation…
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Youngkin’s Term Made Virginia Stronger, More Prosperous
by Derrick A. Max Governor Glenn Youngkin’s final State of the Commonwealth address last night offered more than a farewell. It served as an empirical rebuttal to the claim that conservative, pro-growth governance, like those supported by the Thomas Jefferson Institute, cannot deliver tangible results. By every meaningful metric — jobs, investment, education outcomes, revenue…
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The Supreme Court Case that Could Raise Your Internet Bill or Let Piracy Run Amok
by John Farmer Ponder this question: You run a business such as a company, university, coffee shop, or hospital that provides internet access to many people. Of course, some people use it to access pirated content, such as NFL games, movies, or songs. Are you at risk that your internet service provider (ISP) will cut…
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$62 Billion For Grid Batteries is Not a Path to Affordability
By Steve Haner The 2026 General Assembly is likely to amend the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) to greatly expand the construction of utility-scale batteries for our electric grid. Based on the current prices for Virginia battery installations, this may saddle ratepayers with $54 billion in new capital expenses over 20 years. The Commission on…
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About Those Jobs Americans Don’t Want to Do….
How many are jobs the American education system just isn’t training them to do? How many of the jobs that Virginians “don’t want to do” are jobs that Virginia’s K-12 system doesn’t prepare them for?
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The Data Centers’ “Irreparable Harm” Sham
by Mac Haddow In Prince William County, the story of the PW Digital Gateway has become a master class in legal hypocrisy. After a complete examination of the evidence, Judge Kimberly A. Irving ruled that the Board of County Supervisors’ vote approving the massive data center corridor was void ab initio because the County failed…
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Trump Policies Hurt Virginia Farmers
by Dick Hall-Sizemore The 2025-2026 soybean harvest and market began in September with Virginia soybean farmers having lost their biggest customer as a result of Trump’s tariff policies. In 2023 (the latest year for which figures are available), soybeans were Virginia’s top agricultural export at over $1.4 billion. Exports to China accounted for $784 million (56…
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IRP Part 2: Dominion Bill Projections Just Keep Exploding
By Steve Haner, Two years ago, Dominion Energy Virginia predicted that by 2035 a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity would pay $174 per month. That represented a 50% increase over the first 15 years of compliance with the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The current bill, just five years into the age of VCEA, is…
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Dominion Says VCEA Compliance Means Many New Nukes
By Steve Haner, If or when Dominion Energy Virginia complies with the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and closes its hydrocarbon generation units, the best way to power Virginia will be a truly massive amount of new nuclear power. That comes from the latest iteration of Dominion’s ever-adjusting integrated resource plan (IRP), filed with the…
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Don’t Bet Against Virginia’s Economy
By Derrick Max, If you only read the headlines, you might think Virginia’s economy is teetering on the brink. A recent Cardinal News story declared that the Commonwealth’s GDP growth has fallen from 6.2 percent to 1.7 percent, and touted warning signs spelled out in “three new (economic) reports” that claim to show serious trouble ahead.…
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Democrats Dominate Energy Discussions With GOP MIA
By Steve Haner, “The energy bills are…” shouts the emcee on the stage. “Too damn high” comes the immediate response from a crowded meeting room in the east end of Richmond October 16. That call and response mantra constantly punctuated a long and creative presentation on Virginia’s energy dilemma from the point of view of the activist group Clean Virginia. The point of view varies greatly from the Thomas Jefferson Institute’s views on why…
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UVA’s Weldon Cooper Backpedals on Economic Gloom Yet Again
By Steve Haner, In April, economic prognosticators at the University of Virginia published a prediction that Virginia would lose 32,000 jobs during 2025. The Al Gore-like jeremiad was promptly adopted by Virginia Democrats who used it in speeches and advertising to claim Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin and his chosen successor, Winsome Earle-Sears, were mismanaging the economy.…