Bacon's Rebellion

  • What’s 116,511 Acres Between Friends?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Virginia is farther from its goal of preserving a fifth of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in open land than officials had thought, reports Greg Edwards , writing for the Media General News Service. The state has roughly 360,000 acres to preserve under the Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement — considerably more than the 239,000 acres previously thought.

    It appears that Department of Conservation and Recreation incorrectly calculated in 2000 how much land Virginia had already saved toward the goal. They inadvertently included 116,511 acres of the George Washington National Forest.

    Oops.

    Under a 2000 agreement, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and the U.S. government pledged to protect the bay’s watershed by permanently preserving 20 percent in open farm, forest or park land by 2010. Maryland and Pennsylvania have met the goal.

  • Plus Ca Change, Plus C’est La Meme Chose

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The state Senate has eleven committees: Today, under Republican control, all 11 are chaired by white men representing districts than are more rural than typical for the state. In January, seven committees will be chaired by women, four by African-Americans (three of whom are women) and only three by white males. Northern Virginians will have the most powerful General Assembly representation ever. So opines Anita Kumar with the Washington Post.

    As for priorities, writes Kumar, “many legislators believe the shift in the Senate will mean a greater focus on roads and transit, growth controls, crime and economic development.”

    She also quotes Sen. Walter Stosch, R-Henrico, the outgoing Senate Majority Leader. Democratic leaders, he says, are “finding out how difficult it is balancing the interests in the state. You truly have to take into account geographic diversity, even if it’s in conflict with seniority.”

    The nugget of insight from the Stosch quote is this: The politics of geography will continue to trump the politics of party, race and gender. Ds and Rs from the same region will frequently join to push issues of regional import. Likewise, Ds and Rs will remain responsive to the big-money interests that dominate the campaign contributions. Unquestionably, the state Senate will be more responsive to left-side-of-the-aisle culture war issues and to redistribution-of-wealth issues. Without a commitment to Fundamental Change, the machinations of the General Assembly will grind on much as before.

  • Happy Thanksgiving — and Please Pass the Beans

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    I saw a link to a USA Today story entitled, “The First Real Thanksgiving.” I clicked on it, eagerly anticipating that a national publication would give credence to Virginia’s claim to having celebrated the first thanksgiving in North America. Finally, I thought, those pesky pilgrims would get their comeuppance.

    Indeed, they did. But the article said nothing about Virginia’s Thanksgiving — it was all about some nonsense down in St. Augustine. Floridian Robyn Gioia contends that Pedro Menendez de Aviles landed there on Sept. 8, 1565, and celebrated a feast of thanksgiving with the Timucua Indians. They dined on bean soup.

    Bean soup? Some actually gave thanks for bean soup? I don’t think so!

  • Questions about the Rolls Royce Deal

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Once again, I am going to tick off my friends in the economic development community, few of whom appreciated my remarks about the Volkwagen deal (“A Bug in the Ointment“). After spending $6 million in state funds to secure the $100 million VW investment, Virginia now is committing $56.8 million to land a Rolls Royce aircraft engine factory in Prince George County. Judged by traditional economic development standards, this project is a big deal, but I’m asking, is this really how we ought to be investing our economic development dollars?

    Rolls Royce will invest $100 million initially to establish an assembly and test facility for its civil aerospace operations. Over time, the company could invest up to $500 million on advanced manufacturing as future opportunities arise. The projects will create 500 jobs that are high paying by Prince George standards. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine describes the project as “transformational” — giving a huge boost to Virginia’s aerospace industry. Virginia competed against at least seven other states, as well as other locations from around the world, most of whom are undoubtedly green with envy.

    As a bonus, this world-class project doesn’t suffer from the obvious flaws of the VW deal. Unlike Northern Virginia, which suffers chronic labor shortages, Prince George and surrounding localities (Petersburg and Hopewell, amongst others) have a little slack — not much, but a little — in their labor markets. Unemployment is running from 2.9 percent (Prince George) to 5.5 percent (Petersburg). Furthermore, the region doesn’t face the same strain on infrastructure and public services from out-of-control growth that Northern Virginia does.

    Here’s my concern: $56.8 million is a lot of money. That translates into a subsidy of more than $100,000 per job. Jeff Schapiro with the Times-Dispatch breaks down where the money is coming from:

    VEDP spokeswoman Christie Miller … said that state government economists believe that Virginia will break even on its investment in Rolls-Royce by 2015 and see a return of at least $70 million within 20 years of the project’s launch.

    Virginia is providing a half-dozen incentives, the priciest of which is a $35 million performance grant, which must be approved by the 2008 General Assembly. Driven by such milestones as jobs and investment, the grants — payable by check — would begin in 2014.

    That year, and again in 2015, Rolls-Royce would receive $5.5 million from the state treasury. Between 2016 and 2023, annual payments would be $3 million. … In negotiations with the company, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine pledged a total of $6 million from the so-called Governor’s Opportunity Fund. The figure — actually it is two grants, each $3 million — will help pay for roads, water and sewer service and utilities.

    Prince George County, too, is sweetening the pot, providing five-year tax breaks on machinery, tools and the company’s business license. The locality will connect the factory’s utility service at a 50 percent discount and waive the fee for processing the rezoning of the plant site.

    Virginia is throwing in an added $5 million in grants for spinoff development from the Rolls-Royce facility, payable in 2018 and 2019. And there’s $8.7 million in state funds to assist in employee training.

    Folks, that is a whole lot of money. This smacks of industrial policy — the state picking economic winners and losers. No question, Rolls Royce has the potential to contribute a lot to Virginia’s economy. But if Virginia has the No. 1 business climate in the world, do we have to buy our investment like this?

    Pivotal question one: What long-term strategic objectives does this investment advance? Does Virginia really aspire to build a world-class aerospace cluster?
    Pivotal question two: What else could Virginia accomplish with $56.8 million? Is this really the optimum investment?

    Just asking.

  • What’s the Difference Between Political Signage and Litter?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Not much. At least the litter doesn’t ask for your vote.

    When I was driving through Northern Virginia a couple of months ago, I was astounded by the proliferation of electioneering placards along heavily traveled roads. Wooden sign posts and paper posters had transformed median strips and intersections into veritable chapparals of signage, stretching as far as the eye could see. If Virginia had Santa Ana winds, one stray spark would have burned the entire region down.

    Here in sedate, old Richmond, people might post a sign or two in their front yard, but we don’t assult one another with political signs in the same way. It would be considered… gauche… tacky. I know we move a lot slower than our brethren in NoVa, but I appreciate living in a region where people still show an element of courtesy to one another.

    Now, it seems, even Northern Virginians are running short of patience for this assault on their senses, according to the Fairfax Times. Fairfax County officials have received so many complaints about the signs that Supervisor Michael Frey, R-Sully, has introduced a motion to reduce the number of days the signs can be displayed and to increase the fines for violations. Board Chairman Gerry Connolly says he might even support an amendment restricting signs to private property.

    Go for it. You won’t regret it.

  • Another Nichol Outrage at W&M?

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The American Council of Trustees and Alumni, a conservative group associated with Lynne Cheney and committed to academic freedom on American campuses, has made an issue of the “Bias Incident Reporting System” at William & Mary. The system encourages members of the W&M community to report “biased behavior” to a special committee, asserts ACTA in a recent press release.

    Originally, the system was designed to encourage people to file complaints over “harassment, intimidation or other hostile behavior that is directed at a member of the William and Mary community because of that person’s race, sex (including pregnancy), age, color, disability, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status,” reports ACTA.

    Some students, alumni and at least one law school professor objected to the “schoolyard tattletale system” designed to support a “politically skewed code of conduct.” They took the issue public, running an ad in the student newspaper in October, and launching a website.

    According to ACTA, W&M has since modified the “bias incident reporting system” web page, which now states:

    The Reporting System does not create a new category of prohibited behavior or a new process for members of the College community to be disciplined or sanctioned. The Bias Incident Reporting Team has no authority to discipline any student or member of the faculty or staff. When reported conduct is subject to existing College disciplinary or judicial procedures, referral services will be provided by the Chair of the Bias Incident Response Team. For example, if conduct by a faculty member is reported as a bias incident, the matter will be pursued through applicable procedures set forth in the Faculty Handbook.

    “The administration can tinker with the system all it wants. The fact is, it needs to go,” said Anne D. Neal, president of ACTA. “The system is ripe for abuse, and the administration has offered no reason for why it’s needed. What’s wrong with free speech?” ACTA has written President Gene R. Nichol urging him to scrap the system. He has not answered the letter.

    There are two ways to react to this controversy. While the W&M has the potential for abuse, one could argue, ACTA offers no evidence that it has been abused. Has anyone been unjustly persecuted? If not, what’s the big fuss?

    But there’s another way of looking at it: Why even institute such a measure in the first place? Has W&M been plagued with incidents of bias? Does intolerance threaten the delicate harmony of the college community? If not, why set up a full-blown administrative apparatus — a reporting sytem, an incident reporting team, and referrals to college disciplinary procedures — for a problem that doesn’t exist?

    This controversy strikes me as a tempest in a teapot. But it speaks volumes about the politically correct attitudes reigning in the W&M administration and the distrust that President Nichol has engendered among many of his alumni.

  • Virginia’s New Nukes

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved an Early Site Permit for Dominion’s North Anna Power Station. Dominion now has 20 years to seek NRC approval for a Combined License to build one or more nuclear plants there before it can start construction. Dominion expects to file the Combined License application by the end of the year. Read more details here.

    Good. Nukes make sense for Virginia’s energy policy. If we’re going to shift automobiles from gasoline combustion to electric power, nuclear power may be the most cost-efficient way to go. That doesn’t obviate the need to conserve energy or evolve toward more transportation-efficient human settlement patterns, but it’s an important piece of the puzzle.

    Update: After reflecting upon reader comments, I have modified this post slightly, from saying that nukes “are” the most cost-effective way to go to saying that they “may be” the best way to go. The key issue is risk assurance. If state and federal governments absorb the substantial risks associated with nuclear energy — the huge capital costs and long-term payback, the cost of insurance — then nukes aren’t competing on an equal playing field with other energy sources. Nukes need to stand on their own.

  • At Least Virginians Don’t Discriminate against Fat Immigrants

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    You thought Virginians were tough when it comes to illegal immigration? New Zealanders are even tougher with would-be legal immigrants, especially those that might impose an extra burden on the social safety net.

    New Zealand has just nixed an immigration request by a Welsh woman on the grounds that she is too fat. Welchman Richie Trezise, a submarine cable specialist, managed to lose enough weight to gain permission from the health-conscious Kiwis to enter the country. But his wife Rowan didn’t make the cut. If he wants to take the job, he’ll have to go to New Zealand without her.

    The (London) Telegraph quotes Robyn Toomath, an endocrinologist and spokesman for Fight the Obesity Epidemic, as saying she opposes the stigmatizing of obese people. “However, the immigration department’s focus is different. It cannot afford to import people into the country who are going to be a significant drain on our health resources. You can see the logic in assessing if there is a significant health cost associated with this individual and that would be a reason for them not coming in.”

    A “significant drain on our health resources”… Where have we heard that before?

  • One Man’s James River View

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Mrs. Leahy and I are members of the Friends of James River Park. Recently, an email was circulated to the membership regarding a number of trees that Stuart Siegel had removed from Science Museum of Virginia property along the James River in order to improve his view. It seems someone either didn’t follow, or possibly even ignored, the rules about removing trees from the River. An email from Ellen Wolf of the FoJRP to Rex Springston of the Richmond Times-Dispatch lays out the problem:

    Thanks for taking the time on a weekend to come talk about the clearing of the Science Museum property below the Siegel house. I plan to call the Department of Conservation and Recreation first thing in the morning to report what certainly appears to be a violation of the regulations promulgated under the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act. The James River is certainly a resource protection area, which requires a 100 foot buffer (VAC10-20-80, p. 4). On page 12, “permitted modifications” to this buffer are described:

    5. Permitted modifications of the buffer area.

    a. In order to maintain the functional value of the buffer area, existing vegetation may be removed, subject to approval by the local government, only to provide for reasonable sight lines, access paths, general woodlot management, and best management practices, including those that prevent upland erosion and concentrated flows of stormwater, as follows:

    (1) Trees may be pruned or removed as necessary to provide for sight lines and vistas, provided that where removed, they shall be replaced with other vegetation that is equally effective in retarding runoff, preventing erosion, and filtering nonpoint source pollution from runoff.

    (2) Any path shall be constructed and surfaced so as to effectively control erosion.

    (3) Dead, diseased, or dying trees or shrubbery and noxious weeds (such as Johnson grass, kudzu, and multiflora rose) may be removed and thinning of trees may be allowed, pursuant to sound horticultural practice incorporated into locally-adopted standards.

    (4) For shoreline erosion control projects, trees and woody vegetation may be removed, necessary control techniques employed, and appropriate vegetation established to protect or stabilize the shoreline in accordance with the best available technical advice and applicable permit conditions or requirements.

    The Science Museum Foundation did not seek approval by the local government, allowed the removal of far more vegetation than necessary for “reasonable” sight lines, and made no attempt to replace the vegetation removed.

    Their professed lack of knowledge of the extent of what was being done in no way mitigates their failure to follow the law, nor their failure to oversee, or even once inspect, what was happening on their property and with their permission. In fact, their casual treatment of the Siegel request demonstrates negligence, and an irresponsible lack of stewardship for the valuable resource so generously endowed them, and for river health and aesthetics in general. This from an agency of the state, one of whose missions is “to foster a love of nature and a concern for its preservation.” (from its mission statement.) (The quibble that the foundation is a private entity, not a state agency, is hair-splitting that not many citizens and environmental groups are likely to take seriously.)

    That there even is a law that governs the establishment and protection of a 100 foot riparian buffer along the banks of the James is not widely known. Ralph White did not know of it, Helen Tansey of Virginia Forever (a Nature Conservancy spin-off) did not know if it, and the Science Museum did not know of it. The many James River Park visitors and recreational boaters who over the summer watched the progressive destruction of one of the Park’s most beautiful views did not know that what they were bemoaning is, in fact, illegal, and could have been stopped had they known to report it and to whom.

    There IS a story here: 1.) a conservation law has been broken by a state agency whose mission is to educate the public and foster a love of nature 2.) that law was broken at the request of private citizen who also failed to oversee or inspect work he had contracted for, and 3.) the complete obscurity of that law means that this is probably happening every day.

    This is one side of the story and I don’t know if it has appeared in the RTD (or at least I could not find one this morning). It is entirely possible that the Science Museum did all that it was required to do, under law, to ensure the cutting was properly handled. If anyone has more information on this matter, please pass it on.

  • The End of Cheap Gasoline — Even the Big Oil Companies Can See It Now

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Pardon my broken-record routine, but once again we are forced to confront the challenge of adapting Virginia’s economy to a petroleum-constrained world. Says the Wall Street Journal in a front-page story today: “A growing number of oil-industry chieftains are endorsing an idea long deemed fringe: The world is approaching a practical limt to the number of barrels of crude oil that can be pumped every day.”

    Current global oil production runs about 85 million barrels daily. Industry experts are now pegging the upper limit of oil production around 100 million per day. That still allows some slack for growth in global demand — but hardly enough to accommodate China, India and other Third World economies as they reach a level of prosperity where masses of people can afford to buy automobiles.

    Says the Journal:

    The emergence of a production ceiling would make a monumental shift in the energy world. Oil production has averaged a 2.3% annual growth rate since 1965. … This expanding pool of oil, most of it priced cheaply by today’s standards, fueled the post-World War II global economic expansion.

    The problems: the aging “giant” fields are playing out. New “giants” are increasingly difficult to find. And when they are, they’re located in increasingly challenging conditions, typically off-shore. Meanwhile, because of low-moderate oil prices in the 1980s and 1990s, the oil industry didn’t develop enough geologists and other skilled workers to meet today’s needs. The industry is increasingly constrained by manpower shortages and steep prices for drilling rigs and other equipment. Combine those economic factors with political decisions in many oil-rich countries to under-invest in their production infrastructure, and there is little hope that global supply can continue accommodating the growth in demand without steep increases in price.

    In a few years, we’ll be looking back on $90-per-barrel petroleum and $3-per-gallon gasoline as the good old days.

    I am optimistic that the U.S. economy can adapt. We’ll buy cars that get better gas mileage, or don’t use gas at all. People will find ways to drive less. But the “driving less” part of the equation is heavily dependent upon the shape of our human settlement patterns and the design of our transportation infrastructure. Infrastucture and buildings, which are slowly depreciating assets, are much slower to adapt — all the more so when the special interests who profited from the cheap energy era still dominate the political process and continue to push development into the outer edges of our New Urban Regions as if nothing had changed.

    Sooner or later, we Virginians will have no choice but to change. The only question is how ugly things get — how much we will have compromised our living standards in a vain effort to put off the final reckoning — before we do.

  • Traffic Circles: To Know Them Is Not Necessarily to Love Them

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    The City of Lynchburg has installed its second traffic circle, at the cost of $100,000, in a series of street upgrades meant to offset the impact of the nearby Wards Crossing West shopping center. But some neighbors are griping, reports The News & Advance. “Complaints range from confused drivers who don’t know how to negotiate the new crossing to a wider, westbound lane that allows traffic to pass with little braking.”

    Traffic flow should improve as people get accustomed to the circle, responds City Traffic Engineer Gerry Harter. “I think a lot of the criticisms came before we even finished the project. … I think now, though, people are getting used to it.”

    The width of the roads, Harter said, was determined after consultation with the fire department, which wanted to ensure that it trucks could get through. Ah, ah! As Bacon’s Rebellion readers know well, fire trucks are the root of many of our urban planning problems!

    When in doubt, cherchez le camion de feu!

  • Trip to Kentlands — Intriguing but Not Definitive

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Four Stafford County planning commissioners took a trip to the Kentlands development in Gaithersburg, Md., last month to inspect what New Urbanism planning concepts look like in practice, and Kafia Hosh with the Free Lance-Star went along with them to describe what they observed. “We see all of these plans, and we read all of the theories,” said commission member Steve Pitzel. “We really just wanted to go see what these things look like after they’ve been developed.”

    Kentlands is the most established New Urbanism development in the Mid-Atlantic; enough time has passed since construction for the paint to start peeling and the asphalt to crack. By and large, the project delivered the goods — it has a mix of uses, pedestrian-friendly streets, service alleys in the back of houses, and fairly small lot sizes. On the other hand, Kentlands is located several miles from a Metro stop and residents still rely on automobiles for much of their travel.

    What’s not clear from the story — probably because no one has compiled the information — are two critical datapoints: (1) Even though Kentlands residents still need their automobiles to function in suburban Maryland, do they drive fewer, shorter trips, as predicted by New Urbanism theory, thus reducing the number of Vehicle Miles Driven on state roads? And (2) Is the compact, moderate-density development more economical to serve with other public services?

    Smart Growthers and Traditional Growthers can argue until they’re blue in the face about which development patterns are more transportation efficient, but there is not enough hard data to settle the issue definitively. Planning commissioners can visit Kentlands and get a better “feel” for New Urbanism, but such visits provide only anecdotal impressions, not factual proof, that one pattern of development costs less to serve and maintain than others.

    The debate is not likely to advance very far in Virginia without more conclusive data. That’s why it’s high time to start gathering solid information. The task is easily and relatively inexpensively accomplished.

    Step one: When automobile owners take their cars to a garage for state inspections, the inspectors take the odometer readings and report them to the Department of Motor Vehicles. That way, the state gains an accurate count of Vehicle Miles Driven every year. (If this duplicates some process already in effect, and we already have precise data, then so much the better.)

    Step two: Break down the entire state by census tracts. Characterize each census tract by key variables — zoning, density, housing type, prevalence of retail, commercial and other land uses, access to Metro, bus or other mass transit, types of streets and roads, etc.

    Step Three: Hand the data to scholars at Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth of Virginia, the University of Virginia, or wherever, to start crunching numbers and establishing relationships between Vehicle Miles Driven and different human settlement patterns. Let the professors ascertain which patterns are the most transportation efficient, and let their studies inform public policy at the state and local level.

    Right now, Virginia is largely flying blind on land use. People make all kinds of claims and there is no definitive way to sort through them. For a couple million dollars per year to administer a program like this, we could potentially save ourselves billions in transportation expenditures. The only people who could possibly oppose this is those who make their living bamboozling the public.

  • Kalahari and the Politics of Interstate Interchanges

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    Grab your front-row seats and load up with popcorn. The politics behind a proposed new interchange on Intestate 95 in the Fredericksburg area will be fascinating to watch. The impetus for the project, which could cost an estimated $21 million to $32 million, is the announcement of plans by Kalahari Resorts to build a $200 million indoor water park on 49 acres of the Celebrate Virginia development. Kalahari is expected to open in December 2009.

    The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a study of the interchange and related toll road to be called the Spotsylvania Greenway. Of the interchange, Matt Kelly, Fredericksburg Councilman and MPO chair, says: “It’s not whether it will happen, it’s how best to do it.”

    The Federal Highway Administration requires a study to gauge the impact the interchange would have on traffic patterns over the next 20 years, reports Kelly Hannon with the Free Lance-Star. The obvious question is: Who pays? The Free Lance-Star suggested that state and federal funds are expected to pay for 98 percent of the interchange. The next obvious question is this: If the state and feds are expected to foot the bill, does the project jump to the head of the line, ahead of literally hundreds of other road construction priorities, or does it wait until the other regional priorities have been addressed?

    If private real estate interests were paying for an accelerated build-out of the interchange through tolls, a community development authority or some combination thereof, I wouldn’t have any objection to the financing piece of the interchange.

    However, any traffic-impact study worth its salt would do more than examine the impact of traffic generated by the waterpark and Celebrate Virginia. It would consider the long-term impact that the interchange would have on development in the vicinity — including nearby subdivisions and shopping centers induced by the addition of an interchange — and the impact that development would have on regional traffic patterns. I don’t take it as a given that even a privately financed interchange would be a good idea — it’s not hard to imagine I-95 getting even more overloaded than it already is, thereby creating new demands upon the Virginia Department of Transportation — although I don’t rule out the possibility either.

    Needless to say, various development interests, business interests, local governments and citizens groups will have a lot to say. I expect this proposal to be highly controversial. I’m looking forward to the show.

  • Say Goodbye to the Old Power Grid. The New One Is So Much Cooler.

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    When you start talking about electric power grids, peoples’ eyes glaze over. But the shape of the United States electric grid is fast emerging as one of the critical infrastructure issues of the 21st century. As a nation (and a state) we have two broad alternatives. One is to maintain the “Big Grid” paradigm of ginormous power plants connected to population centers through ginormous, high-voltage electric transmission lines. The other is to evolve to a “Distributed Grid” that is more decentralized and capable of accommodating electric power contributed by a host of homeowners, neighborhoods, commercial establishments and electric power entrepreneurs. Intuitively, I think, the idea of a distributed grid appeals to most Americans — as long as the system can be made dependable. Nobody likes blackouts.

    As Virginia adopts regulatory policies affecting the electric power industry, lawmakers and regulators must keep those alternative paradigms firmly in mind. Right now, the Distributed Grid model seems a bit impractical because of the difficulty of ensuring system reliability. But new technologies and business models could change the picture very quickly.

    The Peak Energy blog draws attention to two interesting articles. One article, “Gridpoint: The Last Green Mile,” highlights a Washington, D.C.-based company, Gridpoint, that is marketing the SmartGrid Platform, an intelligent network of distributed resources that controls load, stores energy and produces power.

    With distributed sources of electricity now arriving in new, innovative forms, and capacity increasing exponentially, distributed storage is the final step necessary to completely transform our energy landscape. Wind power is intermittant, solar power peaks between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. – but with distributed storage available, it doesn’t matter. …

    There are several benefits to distributed storage. During power outages, stored electricity can be discharged back into the grid beyond the break in the line, maintaining reliable constant power. In markets where energy pricing is tiered, electricity can be stored during low off peak rates and discharged when rates are higher. Flattening the load by pushing power into the grid during peak hours of demand from distributed sources can relieve congestion on the grid. And, of course, distributed renewable energy sources such as wind and solar can be captured during their limited hours of collection, and utilized 24 hours per day from storage systems.

    How much might these electricity storage units cost? About $10,000 per customer.

    Given the current prices of multi-family dwellings or light commercial buildings, that really doesn’t sound like very much. But as a tool to arbitrage between higher peak demand rates and lower off-peak rates, at $10,000 a pop, the unit has a fairly long payback. As a tool to flatten demand for a utility in order to prevent spot prices from spiking, however, the unit is already economical. It is also already economical for new land developments, where the storage capacity offered by Gridpoint’s products, combined with on-site sources of electricity from (for example) photovoltaics, significantly reduces the need for infrastructure to connect to the existing electrical grid – paying for itself immediately.

    The other article, “Creating a 21st Century Grid,” discusses a new technology that could shift the balance back in favor of Big Grid. Researchers are working on electric wire made from carbon nano-tubes one 100,000th the width of a human hair. In theory, nanotubes can conduct 100 million amps of current over thousands of miles without much loss in efficiency, compared to today’s wires, which conduct around 2,000 amps of current over hundreds of miles, losing 6 to 8 percent of the electricity in the form of heat. The nanotubes also will weigh one-sixth the weight of current wires, and they’ll be so strong they won’t need support mechanisms. Say bye-bye to the high-voltage transmission line as we now know it!

    New transmission lines would be less conspicuous, vastly diminishing their impact on the landscape, potentially bypassing acrimonioius battles like the one over Dominion’s proposed transmission line in northern Virginia. Dr. Wade Adams of the Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology envisions nano-wires carrying electric power “from vast solar farms in the desert to the Northeast, or maybe from wind farms in Montana or North Dakota down to Florida – and in fact, even from continent to continent.”

    The technology of electric power transmission hasn’t changed much since the time of Edison and Westinghouse. That’s all changing. This is a very exciting time to be a power grid wonk.

  • Republicans Defeated Themselves

    Posted on

    by

    James A. Bacon

    As a counterpoint to my last post, “Republican Realignment in the Post-Chichester Era,” it’s worth reading a column penned by Zachary D. Moore, an aide to Sen. Brandon Bell, R-Roanoke, and director of his PAC, in the Manassas Journal-Messenger.

    Moore argues that the Republicans defeated themselves in the last election through a series of damaging primary challenges to moderate legislators. Not only did conservative challengers cause GOP candidates to burn through $2 million in cash, they defeated Sen. Marty Williams, R-Newport News, who would have gone unopposed in the general election. Democrats wound up winning the seat from conservative Tricia Stall.

    The result of the GOP defeat is as damaging to conservatives as it is to moderates. Writes Moore:

    I want to highlight what this loss means for the Republican social agenda. Bills relating to everything from abortion to school choice to gay rights come before the Senate Education and Health Committee. Historically, many socially conservative bills have died on an 8-7 vote. With the retirement of committee Chairman Russ Potts, many observers thought the committee was on the verge of moving in a more conservative direction. I can virtually guarantee that won’t happen now. Republican Senators Bell and Rerras, both of whom were consistent conservative votes on the committee, will now be replaced with Democrats.

    It’s interesting how Moore plays this as a loss for social conservatives. If Republicans react to electoral defeat by re-defining themselves as a socially conservative party, they are dooming themselves to minority status.

    I wouldn’t define Virginia as a socially “liberal” state. I would describe the philosophical center of gravity as more of “social libertarian” state. Most people have a live-and-let-live attitude. Everybody be cool. Tolerate minority values and lifestyles, but show some respect for mainstream values. Let people do their own thing — keep the state out of it. Adapt the law to changes in social mores in incremental steps that doesn’t get anybody’s nose too bent out of shape.

    Conversely, if Republicans redefine themselves as a fiscally conservative party with innovative solutions to the problems we all share — taxes, education, transportation, the environment — while permitting a range of views on the culture-war issues, it can emerge from defeat much stronger. If the GOP fails to reinvent itself along these lines, a large chunk of the electorate will feel perfectly comfortable in the socially moderate/fiscally moderate wing of the Democratic party.

Now Available

Book cover of 'Dust Mites: A Second American Revolution' by James A. Bacon, featuring astronauts planting a flag with a blue and white emblem on a lunar landscape, with Earth visible in the background.
For sale on Amazon.com

The year: 2075. The American colonies on the Moon are getting restless under Washington’s tyrannical rule….

This second edition of “Dust Mites” has a snazzy new cover, includes helpful lunar maps, and is 5,000 words tighter than the original. The sequel, “Trogs,” is scheduled for publication this summer.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

About

Bacon’s Rebellion is Virginia’s leading politically non-aligned portal for news, opinions and analysis about state, regional and local public policy. Read more about us here.

Fund the Rebellion

Shake up the status quo! Your contributions will be used to pay for faster download speeds and grow readership. Make a one-time donation by credit card or contribute a small sum monthly.

Can’t wait until tomorrow

For your Bacon’s Rebellion fix?

Enter your email address to receive immediate notifications of new posts by email.

SUBSCRIBE

Search Bacon’s Rebellion

Categories

Archives

The Jefferson Council

Protecting Thomas Jefferson’s Legacy at the University of Virginia

Forgot Your Password?

Shoot me an email and I’ll generate a new password for you.

Latest