Governor Tim Kaine joined Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris and others today to launch a program using the smart grid and smart meters. The program, initiated by Dominion Virginia Power, will usher in advances in energy efficiency and provide customer and environmental benefits for the city of Charlottesville but must be complemented by a statewide commitment to energy efficiency.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2009

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network Congratulates City of Charlottesville for Leading on Energy Efficiency
Calls on Dominion to Commit to Statewide Efficiency Measures

CHARLOTTESVILLE, June 16, 2009-Governor Tim Kaine joined Dominion CEO Thomas Farrell, Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris and others today to launch a program using the smart grid and smart meters. The program, initiated by Dominion Virginia Power, will usher in advances in energy efficiency and provide customer and environmental benefits for the city of Charlottesville but must be complemented by a statewide commitment to energy efficiency.

(Udated 6/18/09. Information courtesy of the Southern Environmental Law Center): Dominion’s pilot program aims to install some 46,500 “smart meters” in homes and businesses in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, taking an important step toward tapping energy efficiency as a viable source of energy. Energy efficiency is a cleaner, more affordable, and more sustainable source of electricity than traditional coal-fired power plants and other fossil fuels. Charlottesville is the first community in Virginia, and one of the first in the country, to undertake a smart-metering effort.

The smart meters will provide Dominion near-instant digital feedback on customer electricity usage. Among other things, this will support new time-based electricity rates designed to encourage conservation. The program will also allow the utility to turn service off and on remotely, and reduce on-site meter reading. More importantly, the smart meters will lay the groundwork for a “smart grid” that will enhance opportunities for energy efficiency and conservation across Dominion service area.

A statement from Mike Tidwell, Chesapeake Climate Action Network Executive Director

“We congratulate the city of Charlottesville for its forward-thinking approach to energy use. Charlottesville mayor Dave Norris has time and again proven himself to be a leader in promoting clean and efficient energy and we applaud him for teaming up with Dominion to bring smart grid technology and smart meters to Charlottesville.

“We are also encouraged that Dominion Virginia Power is embracing these new energy efficiency measures and urge the company to expand its commitment to smart energy use by supporting mandatory statewide energy efficiency standards, a move it has strongly resisted in the past.

“During the 2009 General Assembly session, Senator Donald McEachin (D-Richmond) introduced an energy bill mandating that Virginia keep its energy use steady until 2025 through investments in efficiency. The bill was modeled after a study conducted by the independent American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), which found that Virginia could cut its electricity use constant until 2025 using affordable and available energy efficiency measures. These measures would have created 10,000 new high-quality jobs in the efficiency sector in Virginia. Governor Kaine’s Commission on Climate Change endorsed the goals laid out in the ACEEE study in December of 2008.

“Dominion blocked Senator McEachin’s bill from the start, depriving Virginia of thousands of high-quality jobs and ensuring that the Commonwealth maintained its heavy reliance on wasteful and polluting energy.

“We hope that today’s launch of a smart grid is a sign of a new era for Dominion, one that prioritizes clean energy and energy efficiency over dirty coal. We hope that its interest in promoting efficiency carries through to the upcoming General Assembly session and that we can look forward to Dominion supporting mandatory statewide efficiency and clean energy programs.”