'Governor's" Conference on Energy

I just returned from the "Governor's" Conference on Energy and here are some highlights:

#1) Bob McDonnell claims this is the first of these conferences. Not true, people have been attending energy conferences on this weekend in Richmond for years!

#2) Bob McDonnell says Virginia should look at "all the above". But he starts with coal, natural gas, nuclear, off shore oil then wind, solar and biomass. He is proud of the fact that he was in line to be the first Governor to have big oil slide there long pipes in our wet and wind off shore areas. Virginia's off shore oil is extremely limited and very dangerous to extract. He is dead wrong on this and we should fight him on it.

#3) Bob McDonnell thinks the Uranium in southside should be dug up ASAP. Screw the peons who live there.

#4) There were a number of presentations that repeated the call for mandated renewable energy standards. It was repeatedly stressed that the lack of a mandate in Virginia, unlike our neighbor states, is hampering renewable development in the state.

#5) Unlike our neighbors, North Carolina, Maryland and DC, there is no state support for renewable alternative energy. This too is hampering a renewable industry in Virginia.

Bob McDonnell says he wants to make Virginia the Energy capitol of the east. Right now we import more energy than any other state except for California. It seems from his actions that what he wants is to make Virginia the fuel energy capital and and exploit our state's resources to sell to the highest bidder.

Bob McDonnell is a failure as an energy leader and will continue the lax regulation of our environment.

The conference was really a sad couple of days for Virginia.