This was lost in the e-mail last week. It's a matter of public record...
Editorial comment: It's a good letter, but...I'd like to have seen a clearer statement of priorities. I'm not saying that all use of fossil fuels is bad. I'm not saying that there's not evidence that fossil fuels may renew more quickly than was believed, and I hope they do, because my generation's gone through a lot of them. What I said, in my letter last week, was that Apco needs to invest in our community first--specifically, in solar energy and even in biomass, such that Apco will be paying many residents of the Ninth District monthly checks rather than sending us monthly bills, before they dare to mention building any more "plants."
Yes, there are some problems to be addressed. Solar collectors do reflect and generate a certain amount of warming. If they're well separated by plenty of green space, that should help. Rain will eventually leach a certain amount of toxic mineral residues off solar batteries. If guttering and filtering is built into the system, that should help. We need to be talking about how to address this kind of problems with the clear and urgent needs people have today, and not allowing Apco to dope off into blather about putting a new nuclear reactor here (we need to hear no more about nukes in a land of artesian wells!) or another coal-fired plant there. That kind of big, porky project needs to wait until after every retiree or working parent who's been prodded to pay bills with a "service disruption" is receiving monthly payments from Apco. And until Pepco and Dominion customers are learning to see us as providers of the energy they consume, rather than a poverty pocket that drains more of Virginia's resources than it provides.
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May 3, 2024
Dear Ms. King,
Thank you for contacting me regarding renewable energy. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.
As always, we need to balance the needs of the country. Access to reliable and affordable energy is the building block of a healthy economy.
I support an “all of the above” energy strategy that serves American economic and security interests. Coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, hydropower, domestic oil, hydrogen, and biomass all will play a critical role in America’s energy future. The United States possesses a tremendous amount of natural resources, and we must take full advantage of all options to unlock America’s full potential.
A strong national energy policy is an essential component to a thriving economy and the creation of jobs. I support common sense policies that safeguard our ability to have clean air and clean water without unreasonably jeopardizing thousands of jobs or burdening American families with unbearable energy costs.
As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, I look forward to working to promote an energy policy focused on the use of all domestic resources, including renewables.
For more information on what is happening in Congress, please visit my website at www.morgangriffith.house.gov. If I may be of further assistance to you on this, or any other issue, please feel free to contact me in my Washington, DC office at (202) 225-3861. I remain
| | Sincerely yours,
[nice signature graphic Google doesn't like]
H. MORGAN GRIFFITH
Member of Congress |
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