A new report shows that investing in energy efficiency instead of building the Wise County coal plant in Southwest Virginia would meet the same electricity demand and yield hundreds of millions of dollars more annually for the state. Energy efficiency measures would also create at least 2,600 more jobs than the controversial 585-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The benefits would be even greater when the federal government enacts controls on global warming emissions.
The report compares the economic effects of building Dominion Power’s Wise County coal plant with investing in energy efficiency measures that would meet the same electricity demand. The study finds that avoiding construction of the coal plant by investing in efficiency would save the average household in Dominion’s service territory between $52 and $91 per year in 2012.
The analysis was performed by Abt Associates, an independent, global research firm that works with clients including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and major U.S. corporations.
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