SELC statement on Chickahominy Power’s canceled gas plant

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Today Chickahominy Power, LLC announced the cancelation of its as-yet-unbuilt Chickahominy Power Station, a 1,600-megawatt power plant that the company planned to service with an unregulated gas pipeline cutting through five counties in central Virginia. In response to the announcement, SELC Senior Attorney Greg Buppert released the following statement:

“As the cost of clean energy continues to decline — and the cost of gas projects continues to climb — the Chickahominy Power Station and its associated pipeline would have been a backwards-looking investment. On behalf of our clients Concerned Citizens of Charles City County, Hanover Citizens Against A Pipeline, Appalachian Voices, and Chesapeake Bay Foundation, we fought for greater transparency from an ill-conceived, poorly planned project that would have routed a methane pipeline right through the heart of Virginia.

“We will continue to experience spikes in energy costs as long as we are dependent on fossil fuels like oil and so-called ‘natural’ gas, whose prices are determined by a global market. To achieve true energy independence, we must transition to clean, homegrown energy sources like wind and solar, which will never run out and which provide a stable, low-cost energy supply that stands in sharp contrast with the enormous price volatility of gas.

“On behalf of our clients, we are glad to see the project canceled, and will remain vigilant about any further plans with the potential to harm communities in the Commonwealth.”