RD132 - Annual Executive Summary of the Interim Activity and Work of the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission, 2014 Interim


    Executive Summary:
    Pursuant to Chapter 25 (§ 30-188 et seq.) of Title 30 of the Code of Virginia, the Virginia Coal and Energy Commission (the Commission) is charged with studying all aspects of coal as an energy resource and endeavoring to stimulate, encourage, promote, and assist in the development of renewable and alternative energy resources.

    The Commission has 20 members: five members of the Senate, eight members of the House of Delegates, and seven nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Governor. Delegate Terry G. Kilgore served as the Commission's chairman and Senator John C. Watkins as vice chairman. The other Senate members are Senators Charles W. Carrico, Sr., Charles J. Colgan, Ralph K. Smith, and Frank W. Wagner. The other House of Delegates members are Delegates R. Lee Ware, Jr., Timothy Hugo, Jackson H. Miller, Matthew James, James W. Morefield, Gregory D. Habeeb, and Israel D. O'Quinn. The current nonlegislative citizen appointees are Barbara Altizer, Ken Hutcheson, James K. Martin, John Matney, Donald Ratliff, and Ronnie Smith.

    Staffing was provided by Barbara Teague from the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates and Scott Meacham, Martin Farber, and Iris Fuentes from the Division of Legislative Services.

    Meeting

    During the 2014 interim, the Commission held one meeting on August 8, 2014, at Wytheville Community College in Wytheville.

    Luke Popovich, Vice-President of External Communications for the National Mining Association, briefed the Commission on the rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for new and existing coal-fired power plants and the anticipated effects of the proposed rules. Mr. Popovich predicted that the proposed rules would cause Virginia electricity prices to rise, harming both the coal industry and communities in general.

    Rick Cooper, Director of the Division of Gas and Oil at the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, presented an overview of energy production and gas and oil extraction in Virginia. Mr. Cooper discussed the state of oil and gas drilling in Virginia and the use of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") in Virginia gas wells, and he provided an update on the disbursement of funds held in escrow on behalf of coal gas owners who with conflicting claims to gas royalties.

    Finally, James Golden, Deputy Director for Operations at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, led a brief discussion of the EPA's proposed coal-fired power plant regulations.

    Additional information regarding the Commission's activities is available through its website at http://dls.virginia.gov/commissions/cec.htm.

    The Commission submits this executive summary of its 2014 activities as its annual report.