Why Change Dominion?

Why create a new blog dedicated to changing the policies of a single power company?

Power generation accounts for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and power plants are the largest single-source emitters. It follows that the decisions that the top executives of power companies make will be central to avoiding climate catastrophe. I figure I can go a step further than changing my light bulbs and instead try to change my power company: Dominion Virginia Power

Can the policies of a single company make a difference?

You bet. Dominion Virginia Power is owned by Dominion Resources, which has estimated CO2 emissions of 67 million tons per year. That's more than the total emissions of many countries. Worse, Dominion management continues to actively push for more coal plants. One of the questions I'll be looking at in this blog is whether various new initiatives from the company are serious efforts to reduce emissions or mere greenwash. I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Why not focus on changing laws and regulations instead?

As regulated public utilities, power companies should be responsive to mounting public concern about climate change, but regulatory mechanisms are often weak and more responsive to the short-to-medium term interests of the power companies themselves than to the interests of the public. Those of us who attempted to get Virginia regulators to block the Wise Co. power plant discovered just how hard it is to get either elected officials or appointed regulators to do anything that Dominion opposes. That's another issue I'll be watching.

What about joining other groups working on particular issues, such as groups fighting to stop Dominion's Wise County Power Plant?

I admire these efforts, and support them as a volunteer and contributor. I hope you will, too! (I link to them from the homepage of this blog). But these pressures for improvements tend to be episodic and focused on specific issues, such as new plant permitting, rather than permanently altering the behavior of the firm. I hope that by regularly tracking the decisions of a single company I can hasten change.

Got ideas?

I'd love to hear from people who share my interest in changing Dominion. You can contact me at ChangeDominion@gmail.com