Every two years, the State Corporation Commission scrutinizes the rates and fees Dominion Energy Virginia charges its customers. “In the review, the SCC will analyze the company’s base rates, which account for approximately half of a customer’s monthly bill, as well as the terms and conditions for the provision of generation, distribution and transmission services,”…
The state agency that monitors groundwater conditions to determine if they are running out has lifted an advisory that covered both Greene County and Louisa County. On June 9, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality issued a drought watch advisory for the Northern Piedmont region. “Conditions have improved throughout much of the Commonwealth, although an…
The government organization that turns raw liquid from the ecosystem into safe drinking water for Albemarle and Charlottesville has halted production at one of its plants after detecting the presence of what’s become known as “forever chemicals.” The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority has temporarily stopped using the North Rivanna Water Treatment Plant after tests…
So far there are four approved utility-scale solar projects in Albemarle County ranging from the one megawatt facility that’s just coming online at the Ivy Landfill to the 138 megawatt Woodridge Solar project approved by Supervisors earlier this year. There are some who are concerned that more stringent rules need to be in place to…
A project to install solar panels atop the Ivy Landfill has been cleared by the State Corporation Commission. That entity regulates power generation in the Commonwealth and requires Dominion Energy to submit proposed solar projects that seek to use funds from ratepayers. This dates back to the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act in…
Routine water monitoring by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance has detected elevated levels of e. coli bacteria in Meade Creek near Meade Park. Charlottesville is warning people to avoid contact with the waterway. “E.coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria and when it is found in water, it is a strong indicator of sewage or animal waste contamination…
The Charlottesville City Council has been awarded $7.1 million funding from the federal government to replace some of the remaining iron pipes that convey natural gas to customers in the city. The funding comes from the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in the U.S. Department of Transportation and ultimately from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. …
Staff at the Thomas Jefferson Planning District have spent the past year and a half updating a document that is intended to inform the local government’s preparation and response to natural disasters. “All of the localities in the TJPDC as well as the incorporated towns currently have an adopted hazard mitigation plan from 2018 so…
Both the Charlottesville Comprehensive Plan and the Climate Action Plan set their sights on the future of one of the services provided by the municipal government. “The City of Charlottesville owns and maintains a natural gas utility, fossil fuel utility, which we recognize,” said Lauren Hildebrand, the city’s utilities director. “We’ve been operating this utility…
Do you work for a group that may have a project that you think could demonstrate ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Albemarle County has announced a grant program to encourage innovation as a way to meet the goals to reduce emissions from fossil fuels to zero by 2050. “Projects can contribute to reducing greenhouse…