Welcome

Public Policy Virginia will be closing its doors for new business on October 31, 2011. Unfortunately, our Co-Executive Directors need to move on to other concerns, and therefore PPV will be winding up as much of its work as possible to facilitate this. We would like to thank everyone who has supported PPV and its programs for your generosity. The staff hopes you will remain in contact with us individually. Members of the Virginia Biomass Energy Group can stay connected through the Google and LinkedIn groups.

Public Policy Virginia is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation focused on changing the energy culture of the Commonwealth through grass-roots communication and the promotion of policy changes. PPV recognizes climate change as the single most important issue we face today, and to address that issue, we research, analyze, and communicate the facts about energy issues to policymakers and their constituents to influence the institution of progressive, beneficial ordinances, laws, and standards which will help us to make the changes necessary to deal with this issue.

New at PPV

WORKSHOP SUCCESS! "Tools for Developing Community Scale Biomass Energy Projects," Sept. 7-8

The Community Power Initiative and Virginia Biomass Energy Group programs ran a very successful 2-day workshop which premiered the screening tool for PPV's Community Biomass Business Plan at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research in Danville. The workshop agenda and the PDF versions of the presentations can be found on the CPI Workshop page. Click the links on the presentations to download them individually. Also included as Web Extras are Summary Notes, prepared by participant Cassandra Stish, of Buckingham County, and some EIA graphs and charts referred to in discussion.

The 3rd Annual Biomass Energy Conference, March 7, 2011

Virginia Biomass Energy Group's 3rd Annual statewide conference on biomass energy was held at the Jepson Center at the University of Richmond. The topic was "Exploring Issues of Scale" and the full-day conference featured 4 panel sessions with expert speakers from all parts of the biomass industry. For the available Powerpoints from this conference, you can access the event details at www.virginiabiomass.org.

VABRES: A Coalition for Renewable Energy in Virginia

PPV is proud to be a founding member of the Virginia Alliance for a Better Renewable Energy System (VABRES). We have joined with such diverse interests as the Virginia Conservation Network, APEX Wind Energy, Old Mill Power Co., VA-AREA, Potomac Supply Corp., Timmons Group, The Reiley Group, Clean Economy Network and the Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter to present original and alternative legislative incentives in order to boost Virginia's clean energy manufacturing and production. For information on VABRES and its work in the 2011 General Assembly, go to VABRES.org

NEW STUDY! "Thermal Energy: The Key to Profitable Biopower"

Public Policy Virginia has just uploaded its latest study, funded by VDMME, on the job creation and economic impacts of including thermal energy in our renewable biomass power mix. The project, which updated the numbers from oft-quoted Hodges & Rahmani UFL study to reflect the energy efficiencies capable with biomass CHP, is available for download in PDF form here.

JUST RELEASED! "One Penny For Clean Energy"

PPV, on behalf of the Virginia Alliance for a Better Renewable Energy System (VABRES) has just finished its analysis of a rate impact analysis performed by LaCapra Assocs. The conclusion will surprise you! Renewable energy will far less costly to implement than we ever expected. Click here for the Press Release of Oct. 3, 2010, or here to download the Va. Rate Impact Study, or here for the Estimate on Biomass Potential appendix. The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Monday Oct. 11 edition, ran with a related article of the same title, written by Al Weed.

COMMUNITY POWER INITIATIVE (CPI)

The Community Power Initiative ties together our interest in rural development, biomass energy and climate change by focusing on how our power is generated. Our First Campaign Stop was at ODEC last June. In the year since we have begun to reach out to municipalities and local decision makers across Virginia. For more info on the CPI, click here!

Please bear with us as we improve and update our website. Some areas are still under construction.