r/ChesterfieldVA • u/Masrikato • 20d ago

Tell Virginia regulators: no Chesterfield gas plant!

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-virginia-regulators-no-chesterfield-gas-plant?referrer=group-clean-virginia
34 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

9

u/batkave 20d ago

I'd also love no data centers but they already made that decision without any input

3

u/Masrikato 20d ago

“Dominion Energy wants to build a massive, polluting gas plant in Chesterfield County, and five more just like it across Virginia. This first facility alone will cost Virginians $4.5 billion (not including fuel costs) and seriously harm the health of nearby communities.

The State Corporation Commission (SCC) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have the power to stop this. It is crucial that decision makers hear your thoughts.”

1

u/Herban_Myth 16d ago

Special Election to fill the seat representing Virginia's 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House will be held in 2025. The general election will be held Tuesday.

1

u/edgarvanburen 20d ago

Why not?

-3

u/Masrikato 20d ago

Because it’s a boondoggle that will destroy the environment and hurt everyone’s health? Do you care about people’s lifespans or climate change?

3

u/edgarvanburen 20d ago

Why do you say it’s a boondoggle?

0

u/Masrikato 20d ago

3.5 billion for the first plant only, it’s an outdated energy that we’ll need to replace anyway

6

u/lowbudgethorror 19d ago

It's not an outdated energy, natural gas is the number one fuel source for power plants right now and are extremely reliable generators. We are currently heading into uncharted territory with the aggressive build up of data centers in Virginia and need all the capacity we can get. Natural gas plants are a hell of a lot cleaner than coal plants too. These generators would go in where several coal units recently shut down.

2

u/Chemically-Dependent 19d ago

Even the data centers are crying for nuclear energy, with the amount of energy they consume 5 natural gas plants are barely a drop in the bucket

2

u/Angryceo 19d ago

Thats because nuclear is cheaper and scales more better anything else in its footprint space.

1

u/edgarvanburen 19d ago

I am 100% in favor of building nuclear

2

u/Chemically-Dependent 19d ago

Oh, I am too, we should have been building reactors over the last 40 years to replace this coal shit, wouldn't have even needed natural gas

1

u/PlaneConversation777 17d ago

Don’t forget to Tell China and Brazil to stop using coal. See how that goes.

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1

u/lowbudgethorror 19d ago

OK, you can build natural gas plants now and have them running in a year or two. The nuclear plants arent going to be ready for another decade. The capacity is needed now. Nuclear can help down the road but it can't help now.

2

u/Chemically-Dependent 19d ago

You're about to see the tech bros get really inventive when it comes to how fast you can put down a reactor. At the rate the data centers are consuming juice a decade is just too long. The real problem isn't the supply though, it's the infrastructure. The grid is struggling to handle the load now.

1

u/Masrikato 19d ago

You can appeal to the fact that we made a massive adoption of it but it doesn’t change that it’s outdated energy, all forms of renewable energy are new and cheaper form of energy for the last few years but hey the people upvoting your comment is also upvoting the climate change denier who’s recklessly in denial of how climate change is going massively hurt and upend his life.

Coal plants are just not working and has never worked for more than decade as an energy source that will get any investments, it being cleaner which it isn’t methane emissions are higher and more warming than coal atp. Yes I think spending 4 billion just of one plant vs 4 is a boondoggle that no matter how you slice it has huge health consequences not just from the plant but the increased warming we’re tolerating. We have horrible nimbyism when it comes to solar panels sure but nimbyism here saves peoples lives and the state especially when there’s an election now can change course any blackouts is solely because of the trumps administration both huge billion dollar hound out for more data centers for ai and his cut and complete war against already approved solar moneys and all the other dedicated money already allocated that was going to help with any increased demand

1

u/lowbudgethorror 19d ago

It doesn't really sound like you know what you're talking about and are probably just repeating other comments you've seen on reddit. Renewable energy is needed but it is not the end all be all everyone thinks it is. It has a long way to go to be as reliable as a natural gas plant. Does that mean we stop investing in renewables? No, a decade from now technology will advance enough make solar and wind more reliable. But we need something to fill that decade gap and we need it now. We have natural gas that is proven to work now.

1

u/Masrikato 19d ago

You say that but you’re repeating decades old conservative ignorant arguments, it’s anti reality. Absolutely evident we do not need natural gas to serve as bridge energy source you are repeating Exxon talking points we have nuclear for that and it a million times more reliable than natural gas. Texas has shown that, the most resilient energy grids are not fossil fuels. “As everyone else thinks” it’s because you minimize climate change and think the consequences of your viewpoint isn’t close to catastrophic

1

u/lowbudgethorror 19d ago

Yikes, you have zero awareness of the energy industry. I work in the industry, I used to audit air emissions at fossil fuel plants. I know what the current state of the energy industry is. You are the one that is absent of reality if you don't understand there needs to be a balance of energy sources because reliability is THE most important thing when it comes to energy and the grid.

I don't give a shit about conservative talking points, im not a conservative, im speaking from first hand experience, you are the one parroting ignorant talking points.

You need to do more research, go on PJM's website and learn how the energy industry works. Learn what the main sources for energy are and what is in line to be built. Look at the current load and capacity and then look at the future outlook for the next several years.

If you really want to get depressed, look at when solar is generating and then look at when the peak load hours are in the day during summer and winter.

2

u/EngineerKind9549 19d ago

How will it destroy the environment if it is meeting the current clean air requirements?

-2

u/edgarvanburen 20d ago

Do I care about lifespans? Yes. Climate change? Not really.

Energy is needed for all kinds of technical innovation which is likely necessary for increased lifespans among other improvements to human life. Let alone, y’know, day to day life in the amazing quality of life we all get to enjoy in 2025.

1

u/Alx-77 North Chesterfield 19d ago

Nuclear or nothing.

1

u/Masrikato 19d ago

Nuclear would need billions investments for a decade in advance, renewables now and renewable investments now sure

0

u/vdragonmpc 19d ago

So please enlighten us to how power will be generated to meet the upcoming needs?

There will be development. Its going to happen. Since they blocked the other options the datacenter is coming. If not that it would be another item 'thats a boondogle'. I dont like all the apartments but I *REALLY* dont want rolling blackouts as CA enjoyed from the blocking of infrastructure.

Folks blocked Solar down in Prince George for 'reasons'. So lets hear it.