Progress Index
By now, Virginians have heard a lot about the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, an interstate pipeline that would transport natural gas to generate cleaner electricity, power local businesses and heat homes in Virginia and North Carolina. What seems to be overlooked in much of the media coverage about this project is the basic need for natural gas.
Demand for affordable and clean-burning natural gas is growing. This is a fact. Many older coal-fired power plants in the region are being retired to make way for a new fleet of more efficient and cleaner natural gas-fired plants. New federal environmental regulations require Virginia and North Carolina to dramatically lower carbon emissions over the next twenty years. Because natural gas generates half the carbon emissions of coal, the transition from coal to natural gas is key to complying with these regulations. But in order to make the transition, we need new infrastructure and additional supplies of natural gas to power this new generation of gas-fired plants. This infrastructure comes in the form of new underground pipelines.
Underground pipelines are the safest mode of energy transportation in the nation. Pipelines are by far safer than transporting fuel by truck or train. In fact, most of our domestic energy is delivered this way. There is a vast 2.5 million mile network of pipelines crisscrossing the United States, with more than 2,000 miles of pipeline already in existence in Virginia. That’s 2.5 times as many miles of interstate highway in our state.
However, existing pipelines in the region are congested and simply do not have enough capacity to meet growing demand or support new economic development in this region. So not only do we not have enough infrastructure to produce cleaner electricity, we also don’t have enough to fuel the new industries that are essential to the growth and prosperity of our region. As someone who works tirelessly every single day to recruit new industries to our region, I can assure you that those industries will not come unless they can count on a reliable supply of natural gas to fuel their operations. In fact, access to natural gas is one of the first questions that comes up when a company is considering whether or not to locate in any area.
So what we have is a clear issue of supply and demand. We cannot sit back and wait for this problem to solve itself or settle for a stagnant economy. What we need is new infrastructure like the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Having this pipeline in place will open up the doors to new economic opportunities and make our region a much more attractive place for companies to build their operations and grow our local economy. More infrastructure and more economic development will mean more jobs and higher incomes for our community.
Our region stands to gain from the pipeline in other important ways as well. Locally, the pipeline will contribute to our economy through annual property tax revenue paid to localities where the pipeline travels. For example, Dinwiddie County will receive more than $500,000 each year in property tax revenue from the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. In total, cities and counties across Virginia will receive more than $10 million each year. Just imagine the enormous positive impact that will have on our roads, schools, police and fire departments, and all the other local services we depend on.
Now is the time to take action to ensure we have a reliable energy source to power progress in Southside Virginia and in Hampton Roads. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline will give us an opportunity to spur economic growth and create jobs, while at the same time improving our environment. That’s a future we should all embrace.
Danielle Fitz-Hugh
President and CEO
Petersburg Chamber of Commerce
Petersburg
From the August 28, 2016 article in Progress Index