This weekend, this web site received Congressman Griffith's E-Newsletter summarizing the Lower Energy Costs Act, US HR 1. The Newsletter went live on this web site; you should see a link to it on the right side of the page.
This web site particularly called the Newsletter to the attention of our US Senators, who are not paid to sit around reading personal blogs every day. Since they're D and our House Representative is R, we can expect some debate about the final wording from them; that's how the system is supposed to work. This web site asked them to make sure the bill supports the economy of the Ninth District of Virginia by requiring APCo to invest in harvesting our sunshine before it sinks any more money in fossil or nuclear fuel.
(For those who don't know: Virginia already has laws authorizing anyone who has the money to put as many solar collectors as we want over our roofs, sheds, pavements, and any southwest-facing slopes that are too steep to cultivate and too rocky to support fruit trees. Stores like Gate City's Thriftway Supermarket, which died partly because its oldfashioned flat roof held water and sprung leaks, could have new, watertight, sloping roof covers that drain water and collect sunshine if their owners chose to invest in such. I could have a new, watertight, sloping roof cover if I could afford one. And yes, the technology is already workable to allow us to sell our surplus sunshine back to APCo. One of my old schoolmates claims to be collecting monthly checks for that. I am not asking for taxes to be used to make all of us equal participants in this venture, though I would emphasize that solar collectors can be installed on roof covers, outbuildings, or shelters especially over stores and parking lots, so they would actually protect rather than weigh down roofs. I would like to see a requirement that APCo install solar collectors wherever anyone they've threatened to disconnect for non-payment will allow them to install one, before APCo sinks any more money into new plants. This web site supported letting APCo build a new plant, which didn't look bad or do obvious damage to its environment, back in 2011-2012. They built it and everybody was happy. Now they're saying it's old and inadequate. Well. Let them have more sources of energy. Enough to sell to PEPCo and Dominion! And after a few years when they can balance their payments to us against payments on the equipment they install, they should start sending us monthly checks, too. It is jolly high time the Ninth District's economy was boosted by something that is clean, Green, honest, and wholesome.)
Below is Senator Mark Warner's reply. From its format we may infer that it was typed, probably by a student, from a template that was probably mailed out to a lot of people who've e-mailed him about this bill.
"
Dear Ms. King,
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Cost Act. I appreciate the benefit of your views on this important issue.
On March 30, 2023, the House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 225 - 204. The bill must pass the Senate and be signed by the President before becoming law.
You may be assured that I will keep your views in mind as this issue is considered. If you need additional information or if there’s another issue that’s important to you, please visit my website at: http://www.warner.senate.gov where you may send a message to me or sign-up for email updates to get the latest on my work in the Senate. You may also follow me at: http://www.facebook.com/MarkRWarner/ and https://twitter.com/MarkWarner.
Sincerely,
MARK R. WARNER
United States Senator
"
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