Bipartisan opposition in Virginia is building to create a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor that would allow electric power companies to obtain the power of eminent domain to build transmission lines.
The latest statement comes from Attorney General Bob McDonnell, who has voiced his support for Wolf-Hinchey Amendment, co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-10th. The legislation would defund implementation of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor legislation over the next fiscal year, allowing time for the additional input from the states and discussion with the federal government.
This is one of the great public policy battles of our era, even though it has garnered little attention from the national press: Big Grid vs. Distributed Energy. The business models of the major East Coast power companies are predicated on building massive power plants in isolated areas and distributing electricity to population centers with obtrusive transmission lines. The alternate model is based on incentivizing conservation and encouraing local, small-scale (and, often, renewable) power sources.
Where is Virginia’s leadership on this issue? The Kaine administration is due to publish its statewide energy plan soon. It will be interesting to see how the Kaniacs address this critical issue.
