Myths Vs. Facts

Powered by Facts is devoted to educating Virginians about energy options in our state. We will publish Myths & Facts about the energy mix in Virginia here on a regular basis.

The Candidates are Set — Will You Vote for Solar in November?

The Candidates are Set — Will You Vote for Solar in November?June 22, 2017The candidates for Virginia Governor and state delegates are now set. Thanks for exercising your right to vote in the primaries, which ended up being quite interesting. Now is the time to start educating yourself about where they stand on the issues. Powered by Facts Founder Karen Schaufeld takes a detailed look at the nominees and where they stand on solar and renewable energy in... Read more...

Exercise Your Right to Vote for the Future of Solar in Virginia!

Exercise Your Right to Vote for the Future of Solar in Virginia!June 12, 2017Across Virginia, there are many important legislative seats — from Governor to state delegates — for which several candidates are vying for the Democrat and Republican nominations. Regardless of which party you support, it is important to exercise your right to vote on June 13. Listen to what Powered by Facts Founder Karen G. Schaufeld has to say about the primaries and why they are important to the future... Read more...

From Printed Tiles to Floating Panels & Battery Storage Competition, Solar is Rapidly Evolving

From Printed Tiles to Floating Panels & Battery Storage Competition, Solar is Rapidly EvolvingJune 5, 2017The solar energy market is heating up with incredible innovation that will ultimately help consumers and ratepayers. Mercedes-Benz will soon compete in the solar battery storage market in California. The state also is at the forefront in U.S. innovation with a proposed plan for floating solar panels that would power more than 1,500 homes annually... Read more...

Net Zero Schools Save Money and Enhance Education; Arlington School Sets Example for Commonwealth

Net Zero Schools Save Money and Enhance Education; Arlington School Sets Example for CommonwealthMay 9, 2017American schools spend more on electricity and natural gas than on textbooks and computers, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. However, schools can change that equation and save millions by going “net zero” through a combination of efficiency and onsite renewable energy, such as solar, to produce more energy than is used in a... Read more...

Solar Jobs in Virginia: Well-Paying, Diverse and Growing Rapidly

Solar Jobs in Virginia: Well-Paying, Diverse and Growing RapidlyApril 17, 2017By Karen G. Schaufeld Virginia is moving up in the charts in terms of solar job growth: according to The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2016, the Commonwealth was 9th in the United States (tied with Utah) for year-over-year solar job growth and 2nd in the Southeast. In fact, according to Governor Terry McAuliffe,... Read more...

It’s a Wrap – HB 2303 and SB 1394 Signed by Governor McAuliffe!

It’s a Wrap – HB 2303 and SB 1394 Signed by Governor McAuliffe!March 27, 2017Virginia farmers have a new way to generate a reliable stream of income for up to 25 years with the signing of HB 2303 and SB 1394 by Governor McAuliffe. The identical bills create an additional renewable generation option for farmers known as AgGEN (small agricultural generation tariff) and has the potential to increase income... Read more...

New Solar Legislation Could Help Virginia Create More Jobs, Stimulate Economy

New Solar Legislation Could Help Virginia Create More Jobs, Stimulate EconomyMarch 13, 2017By Karen Schaufeld Solar energy is a job creator. In 2016, the number of solar power workers in the USA in 2016 was 373, 807, vs. 187,117 in the fossil fuels sector, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Solar power jobs also are higher paying jobs – $26 per hour is the median wage... Read more...

Microgrids can Help Create More Reliable, Safer Energy Sources for Large Facilities

Microgrids can Help Create More Reliable, Safer Energy Sources for Large FacilitiesFebruary 15, 2017Microgrids are gaining traction as an attractive alternative to tapping into the traditional American energy grid, which is good for consumers and businesses that want to lower energy bills and create a secure and more reliable source for their energy needs. A microgrid, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, is a local energy grid... Read more...

Support Virginia Farmers by Advocating for SB 1394 & HB 2303

Support Virginia Farmers by Advocating for SB 1394 & HB 2303January 25, 2017Farming can be a risky business. Everything from weather events – snow, flood, drought, ice, etc. – to pests and the vagaries of the market, Virginia farmers must fight on a lot of fronts to create a profitable living. You can help Virginia farmers by supporting SB 1394 & HB 2303. These identical bills are... Read more...

2017 Virginia General Assembly: What is Crossover and Why is it Important?

2017 Virginia General Assembly: What is Crossover and Why is it Important?January 11, 2017The 2017 Virginia General Assembly convenes its short 45-day session today in Richmond. The session adjourns on Saturday, February 25, the 46th day. But “crossover” means there actually is less time than that. Crossover occurs at the session midpoint and marks the day when bills must pass one house or the other or die for the... Read more...

From the Charlotte Observer: Solar farm may sprout on a Charlotte landfill closed for decades

From the Charlotte Observer: Solar farm may sprout on a Charlotte landfill closed for decadesJanuary 4, 2017BY BRUCE HENDERSON bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com Idle for nearly a half-century, the overgrown 155 acres of city-owned property north of uptown, in an industrial area off Statesville Road and Interstate 85, seems ripe for development. Whiffs of garbage give away its past. The site is a landfill built and closed (in 1970) before standards existed to protect... Read more...

Virginia has Dropped Behind South Carolina in Solar – We Need to Change State Policy

Virginia has Dropped Behind South Carolina in Solar – We Need to Change State PolicyDecember 12, 2016By Karen Schaufeld Virginia has been leapfrogged yet again – this time by South Carolina. It went from 36th in annual solar photovoltaic installations in the United States in 2015 to 9th in the second quarter of 2016 alone. In the same Solar Energy Industries Association report, Virginia ranked 34th of the 40 states included,... Read more...

Virginia Utility Accused of Inflating Demand in Clean Power Plan Forecast

Virginia Utility Accused of Inflating Demand in Clean Power Plan ForecastNovember 16, 2016Reprinted with permission from Southeast Energy News. Written by: Jim Pierobon Photo by: SCFiasco / Creative Commons Clean energy advocates accuse Dominion Virginia Power’s recently submitted resource plan of inflating future power needs and the costs of integrating solar systems, but the utility defends its calculations. The advocates claim the strategy – part of Dominion’s efforts to... Read more...

The Value of Solar Is Competition

The Value of Solar Is CompetitionNovember 2, 2016October 22, 2016 By Debbie Dooley, Conservatives for Energy Freedom Free markets and competition are at the root of who we are as Americans. We believe that consumers should not only have choice, but a fair opportunity to exercise that choice. Government should not stand in the way of this choice and should do all... Read more...

News Roundup: Corporate America Loves Solar, Texas Leads & NOVA Starting New Solar Initiative

News Roundup: Corporate America Loves Solar, Texas Leads & NOVA Starting New Solar InitiativeOctober 27, 2016Solar has been all over the news lately, as more and more Americans realize it generates jobs, stimulates the economy and lowers prices for ratepayers. In this roundup, Powered by Facts is sharing highlights from stories about how corporate America is adopting solar, why Texas is leading the nation in renewables and how Loudoun County... Read more...

Cyber Security Awareness Month – America’s Energy Grid is at Risk Too

Cyber Security Awareness Month – America’s Energy Grid is at Risk TooOctober 19, 2016By Karen Schaufeld National security – specifically, cyber security – is a major concern for all Americans. Federal agencies consider it a top priority because cybercriminals and other bad actors continue to change tactics and ramp up capabilities to disrupt companies and even our government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is focusing on cyber... Read more...

Incentivized to Inefficiency? Investor-Owned Utility Model May Actually Hinder Energy Efficiency Programs

Incentivized to Inefficiency? Investor-Owned Utility Model May Actually Hinder Energy Efficiency ProgramsOctober 10, 2016By Nigam Trivedi, Lehigh University Recently, the owner of a small company in Virginia shared with Powered by Facts that he had reduced energy consumption by 25 percent in order to save some overhead costs. However, he ended up actually paying more in electricity bills, because Dominion charges less per kilowatt hour the more energy... Read more...

Want to Protect Yourself from Power Outages Resulting From Outdated Energy Sources? Solar Could be the Answer.

Want to Protect Yourself from Power Outages Resulting From Outdated Energy Sources? Solar Could be the Answer.September 28, 2016By Karen Schaufeld Last week was a tough week for anyone who relies on traditional electrical grids and natural gas – pretty much anyone who lives in the United States, for example. From New England to Puerto Rico, shortages and outages affected millions of United States’ citizens and residents. In Puerto Rico, at least one... Read more...

Why Virginia’s Monopoly Utilities Are Trying to Stop Customer-Owned Solar

Why Virginia’s Monopoly Utilities Are Trying to Stop Customer-Owned SolarSeptember 19, 2016Re-published with permission from Virginia Solar United Neighborhoods (VA SUN) The recent growth of solar electricity generation has been nothing short of spectacular. Nationally, solar photovoltaic (PV) installation costs have fallen by more than 70% in the past decade. The total capacity of installed solar has tripled since 2010. The solar industry now employs more... Read more...

“PACE”-ing Energy Consumption: Economic Alternatives Geared Toward the Promotion of Renewable and Energy Efficiency For Current and Future Homeowners

“PACE”-ing Energy Consumption: Economic Alternatives Geared Toward the Promotion of Renewable and Energy Efficiency For Current and Future HomeownersSeptember 12, 2016By Nigam Trivedi, Lehigh University It is a straightforward idea to access local, state or federal funds to pay for a portion of energy improvement costs. In late 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) termed this financing technique Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE for short. More than half of the United States have... Read more...

Dominion’s Push for North Anna 3 Too Costly & Possibly Unlawful

Dominion’s Push for North Anna 3 Too Costly & Possibly UnlawfulSeptember 1, 2016Why – when there are cheaper and safer ways to create energy for Virginia in the near term – does Dominion Virginia Power continue to push for its North Anna 3 nuclear power plant? It’s all about the money, frankly, and I was pleased to learn that the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council (VCCC) has filed a... Read more...

California Sets Daily Solar Record; Powers 6M homes

California Sets Daily Solar Record; Powers 6M homesAugust 10, 2016By Karen Schaufeld Congratulations to California for setting a record for powering 6 million homes with solar in just one day! Their previous record was set in May of this year, but thanks to this summer’s coast-to-coast high temperatures, their new record is 8,030 megawatts. According to San Francisco Gate, California only included large solar... Read more...

Second in a Series: What’s in it for them? Why Dominion is Committed to ‘Selling’ the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to Virginians

Second in a Series: What’s in it for them? Why Dominion is Committed to ‘Selling’ the Atlantic Coast Pipeline to VirginiansAugust 2, 2016By Nigam Trivedi, Lehigh University Those who argue in favor of construction or expansion of non-renewable facilities say it will create jobs. In that vein, advocates for Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) point to the significant benefits it will have for Eastern North Carolina. To transport the fracked gas the 554 miles from West Virginia,... Read more...

First in a Series: More Dangerous, More Expensive? Overlooked Consequences of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline

First in a Series: More Dangerous, More Expensive? Overlooked Consequences of the Atlantic Coast PipelineJuly 20, 2016By Nigam Trivedi, Lehigh University In recent years, natural gas has been touted as a cheaper and cleaner alternative to both non-renewable and renewable energy sources. Utilities hold strong incentives to build for natural gas supply where they can, and Dominion’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline is no exception. In fact, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLP boasts... Read more...

56 MWh is a Good First Step; Dominion Still Needs to Do More in Virginia

56 MWh is a Good First Step; Dominion Still Needs to Do More in VirginiaJuly 13, 2016By Karen Schaufeld Many of us want more renewable energy available to consumers and ratepayers as quickly as possible here in Virginia, but our state policies need to be updated to make that possible. Across the country, “the U.S. electric sector is in the midst of an unprecedented shift toward clean energy resources,” according to... Read more...

Should Nuclear Continue To Be An Active Part of the U.S. Energy Portfolio?

Should Nuclear Continue To Be An Active Part of the U.S. Energy Portfolio?July 7, 2016By Nigam Trivedi, Lehigh University The direction that America takes with energy is the center of many a debate about whether we should continue to invest in coal and fossil fuels or continue the shift to more renewables, including wind and solar. These debates bring up questions, such as how much of the energy portfolio... Read more...

Recent Tesla Moves Both Good and Bad for Solar Industry

Recent Tesla Moves Both Good and Bad for Solar IndustryJune 30, 2016By: Forest Langhorne, Tufts University Tesla Motors, a brand most associate with its high-end electric cars, is much more than just an automobile manufacturer. In their attempts to increase the power and range of their automobiles, Tesla has become an industry leader in battery manufacturing and development. As they have shown, improved battery technology could... Read more...

VEPF16: Virginia Should Look to the South for Brighter Ideas

VEPF16: Virginia Should Look to the South for Brighter IdeasJune 22, 2016By Forest Langhorne, Tufts University At Senator Mark Warner’s Virginia Energy Policy Forum (VEPF), a series of speakers, including U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz, presented updates on existing ideas and technology, both known and emerging, that could help Virginia advance the volume of solar and other renewable energy produced in the state. One of... Read more...

Headed to Hampton: Sen. Mark Warner to Host Virginia Energy Policy Forum

Headed to Hampton: Sen. Mark Warner to Host Virginia Energy Policy ForumJune 14, 2016By Karen Schaufeld U.S. Senator Mark Warner’s 2016 Virginia Energy Policy Forum this Friday is designed to offer energy and climate stakeholders, such as Powered by Facts, the opportunity to learn more about major energy regulations that “will not only affect the Virginia economy but the way we diversify our energy moving forward.” We are... Read more...

The Pros of Cons of the Top Six Energy Sources in America

The Pros of Cons of the Top Six Energy Sources in AmericaJune 8, 2016By Karen Schaufeld When I started Powered by Facts, my goal was to create a source for accurate, up-to-date information on energy production and the costs and benefits of a varied energy production mix in Virginia. Unfortunately, if you don’t understand the different types available to you, as well as their pros and cons, it... Read more...

Virginia Makes Top 10 ‘Worst List’ for Solar Development

Virginia Makes Top 10 ‘Worst List’ for Solar DevelopmentJune 2, 2016By Karen Schaufeld Virginia is one of the 10 states included in the “Throwing Shade: 10 Sunny States Blocking Solar Development” report by The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a group known to advocate for laws to protect the environment and ecological diversity that has recently begun focusing on solar and other renewable energy policy.... Read more...

Just Nine Nodes

Just Nine NodesMay 18, 2016Most of us don’t think about how everything – EVERYTHING – we do, use and need to lead our 21st Century lives relies on the generation of reliable sources of energy. Our water supply and sewage treatment facilities rely on electricity. Traffic lights, air traffic control, etc., as well as healthcare, public safety, government, finance... Read more...

Creating Distributed, Adaptable, Resilient & Reliable Sources of Energy Will Help Protect America

Creating Distributed, Adaptable, Resilient & Reliable Sources of Energy Will Help Protect AmericaMay 12, 2016By Karen Schaufeld A gas well explosion in Pennsylvania continues to raise concern for the area, and it was a reminder that the way America produces and distributes energy is not only costly, but also exposes us to dangerous situations. In fact, relying on an electrical generation and distribution infrastructure that is more than 100... Read more...

Rainy Days and Solar

Rainy Days and SolarMay 3, 2016By Karen Schaufeld It is rainy here in Northern Virginia, and the forecast calls for rain for at least another five days. Kind of gloomy, to be sure, but it reminds me of the oft-misunderstood “rain with solar panels” situation. Many people think that when it rains, solar panels don’t work, but – while that... Read more...

Enjoy Earth Day! Learn How to Make Changes for Virginia and the Planet.

Enjoy Earth Day! Learn How to Make Changes for Virginia and the Planet.April 21, 2016350 Loudoun and several other organizations celebrated Earth Day early with a gathering focused on educating area citizens about climate change and sharing ways that each of us can make small changes to reduce our carbon footprint. Powered by Facts attended the event atCorcoran Brewing in Purcellville hoping to spread the word that we all need... Read more...

Climate Change: Baby Boomers & Gen X’ers Have Confirmed It; Now it is time for Gens Y & Z to Solve It

Climate Change: Baby Boomers & Gen X’ers Have Confirmed It; Now it is time for Gens Y & Z to Solve ItApril 12, 2016 By Gardner Nash, University of Richmond There was a time when climate change was a topic reserved for scientists and, occasionally, politicians. That has changed, and the discussion is front and center across the globe. Productive discussions about the next steps to take have taken place from Paris to Richmond, but real change will come... Read more...

Imagine What VA Could do with the Power of Solar Farming

Imagine What VA Could do with the Power of Solar FarmingApril 5, 2016Rooftop Solar is Expected to Generate 32% of Virginia’s Electricity Rooftop solar could generate nearly 40% of electricity in the United States, according to a recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NERL). The report went on to create at state-by-state comparison that estimated that the combined potential for energy from solar on small,... Read more...

Virginia Requires Imported Energy to Keep up With Demand

Virginia Requires Imported Energy to Keep up With DemandMarch 21, 2016Imported Energy Means Raising Prices for Virginia Ratepayers Although not much ground was gained for renewable energy during the 2016 Virginia General Assembly, now is the time to begin making your voice heard! By letting your representatives know early and often that we demand cheaper, safer and more reliable energy in the Commonwealth, we can... Read more...

Virginia’s View of Renewable Energy is Changing

Virginia’s View of Renewable Energy is ChangingMarch 10, 2016HB 444 & SB 745 Have Been Signed We’d like to start by extending a special thank you to Governor McAuliffe, Del. Loupassi and Sen. Wagner for supporting Renewable Energy in Virginia. Without your vision, Virginia would continue to fall behind in the renewable energy market. It takes seven miles to turn a battleship around, and... Read more...

Tell Virginia Governor McAuliffe you Support HB 444 and SB 745

Tell Virginia Governor McAuliffe you Support HB 444 and SB 745March 2, 2016It’s Not Too Late to Support Virginia Renewable Energy There is still time to support renewable energy legislation for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The end of the 2016 General Assembly is approaching fast, so make time now to contact Governor Terry McAuliffe to let him know that you support Senate Bill 745 and House Bill... Read more...

Senator Wagner: Reduce VA’s Reliance on Imported Electricity and Expand Renewable Energy Options

Senator Wagner: Reduce VA’s Reliance on Imported Electricity and Expand Renewable Energy OptionsFebruary 22, 2016Senate Bill 779 and Virginia’s Renewable Energy Mix We recently sat down with Senator Frank Wagner in his office at the Virginia General Assembly to find out more about why Senate Bill 779 was pushed to 2017. Wagner explained that SB 779 will now go to a study group that will include all of the stakeholders involved –... Read more...

The Commonwealth of Virginia is Woefully Behind in Renewable Energy

The Commonwealth of Virginia is Woefully Behind in Renewable EnergyFebruary 18, 2016The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), within the Department of Energy (DoE) projects in its Short-Term Energy Outlook that electricity generated from utility-scale renewable plants will grow by 9 percent in 2016. That should be an exciting prospect for people who live in states other than the Commonwealth of Virginia, where we continue to lag... Read more...

Delegate Loupassi: Why He Supports a Mix of Energy Sources for Virginia

Delegate Loupassi: Why He Supports a Mix of Energy Sources for VirginiaFebruary 10, 2016HB 444 Means Transparency in the Energy Market We recently sat down with Delegate G. Manoli Loupassi in his office at the Virginia General Assembly to find out more about House Bill 444. He told us why he wants investor-owned electric utilities in the Commonwealth to notify customers every quarter about where their electricity comes... Read more...

Farming the Sun – Farmers Need Your Help w/SB 779, VA Renewable Energy

Farming the Sun – Farmers Need Your Help w/SB 779, VA Renewable EnergyFebruary 5, 2016Help Virginia Farmers: Tell Richmond you Support SB 779 If you support your local farmers – and Virginia has many of them – then you must contact Senators Richard Stuart and Frank Wagner today to lend your support Senate Bill 779 (click here). The bill is being discussed Monday and will rise or fall on whether... Read more...

Countdown to Crossover: Support 2016 VA Renewable Energy Initiatives Now, or Lose Your Chance

Countdown to Crossover: Support 2016 VA Renewable Energy Initiatives Now, or Lose Your ChanceFebruary 3, 2016By Karen Schaufeld The Virginia General Assembly has been in session for only three weeks, but the halfway mark – “Crossover” – is only two weeks away. This year, it falls on February 16, 2016, and at that time, according to Delegate J. Randall Minchew’s most recent Minchew Memo, “more than 1,300 bills will have... Read more...

Virginia General Assembly Set to Consider Renewable Energy in 2016

Virginia General Assembly Set to Consider Renewable Energy in 2016January 12, 2016The 2016 Virginia legislative session begins tomorrow, and, as you know from visiting us here at Powered by Facts, I have been urging Virginia lawmakers and their constituents to consider much-needed changes to the way the Commonwealth of Virginia approaches renewable energy, along with their other priorities, this session. The time is now to change... Read more...

The Time is Now for Virginia to Change Its Views On Renewable Energy

The Time is Now for Virginia to Change Its Views On Renewable EnergyJanuary 6, 2016Renewable Energy Initiative in VA – Legislative Tax Credit Extensions We were pleased to see the recent passage of two renewable energy bills that included an extension of the 30-percent Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for solar through 2018, when it will begin ramping down to a permanent 10-percent level. In addition, the new law extended... Read more...

Coal Production in Virginia is Declining

Coal Production in Virginia is DecliningDecember 24, 2015Between 2008 and 2012, the amount of energy produced from coal in Virginia declined by nearly 25 percent. As it declines, so do the jobs needed to support it. Renewable energy presents the Commonwealth with the opportunity to create good jobs that could help replace lost mining jobs. ... Read more...

Virginia Renewable Energy Can Keep up With Power Demand

Virginia Renewable Energy Can Keep up With Power DemandDecember 24, 2015Non-sustainable energy sources have proven to be inadequate for Virginia’s growing energy needs. Not only that, but the prevention of the growth of Renewable Energy is largely based on competing energy businesses and factual inaccuracies. Here’s our newest entrant in our Virginia renewable energy myths and facts series (#VAenergyfacts): Myth: Growth in renewable energy can’t... Read more...

Sustainable Energy: Myth vs. FactDecember 24, 2015Renewable energy is cheaper, greener and will support Virginia’s economy. Brought to you by Powered by Facts.... Read more...