By Alfonso Lopez and Sam Rasoul
Lopez and Rasoul are both Democratic members of the House of Delegates. Lopez is from Arlington. Rasoul is from Roanoke.
As the State Water Control Board is scheduled to take up certification of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, it’s important to remember that the project will not save Virginians one penny. In fact, it’s going to cost people in Virginia about $2 billion. Virginians should sit up and take notice of the impact that the project will have on Virginia customers.
There has been no study that demonstrates Virginians need the pipeline. However, the costs will still be passed to customers regardless of how much the pipeline is used. This is guaranteed to increase our energy bills.
Most of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline’s capacity is slated to fuel power plants in Virginia and North Carolina, but power plants in the Commonwealth don’t need the pipeline to operate. In fact, there is not a single power plant operating or under construction in Virginia today that needs the pipeline. Moreover, of all the gas plants in the entire state, only two of them will directly connect to the pipeline. Electricity demand is flat and is likely to stay flat for the foreseeable future, which means the pipeline also isn’t necessary for new natural gas power plants.
The Roanoke Times – Alfonso Lopez & Sam Rasoul – 12.11.2017
Posted by: Nelson Bailey
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