Tag: Stephen D. Haner
-
Dominion “Bill Relief” Disappears September 1
By Steve Haner Homeowners willing to cut back power usage when Dominion Energy Virginia asks them could earn rebates of up to $28 a year. So reports the Richmond Times-Dispatch, citing yet another final order from the State Corporation Commission. The Richmond paper is always bringing us such great news about the folks at the…
-
Why Dominion Stays Calm in Wind Industry Storm
By Steve Haner First published by Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy. There is some overlap with a post from last week by another author, but with a slightly different focus. With growing turmoil in the offshore wind industry finally being reported, it would be nice to turn the clock back a year and revisit…
-
Restoring Sales Tax Holiday is Not Tax Relief
by Steve Haner Virginia’s Democratic legislators are convinced that citizens are happy to pay taxes for state services and will rebel at the polls if taxes are cut when there are “unmet vital needs.” That is why they have so far resisted any and all proposals from Governor Glenn Youngkin and Republican legislators to split…
-
Senators Cry “Voodoo Estimating” In Tax Fight
By Steve Haner First published this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institue for Public Policy. Not only are the leading Virginia Senate budget negotiators adamantly opposed to providing Virginians with additional tax relief in this election year, but they are now hinting at partial roll back of one of the major individual tax reforms approved…
-
Shocking Omission at Sank Roo Doo Noo
Sank Roo Doo Noo. Now that is an easy address in Paris to memorize, and that phonetic spelling for 5 Rue Daunou (a few blocks from the Opera stop on the Paris Metro and the main Galeries Lafayette) has long replaced the official address. Anything associated with Ernest Hemingway and the other American expatriates in…
-
One Hand Applauds for Dominion “Bill Relief”
by Steve Haner Dominion Energy Virginia’s customers still owe it $1.26 billion for fuel they have already used, as of the end of June. The utility is going to give us either seven or ten years to pay off that debt, but at a total cost of over $1.54 billion if we take seven years…
-
Governor, GOP Not Selling Their Tax Reforms
by Steve Haner The following paragraph was written five months ago. It is reproduced now with some emphasis added. The 2023 Virginia General Assembly tax debate is just another revival of an old political show. Last year it ended well for new Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) and for those hoping to pay less in state…
-
Electricity Bill Caps for Poor Start in November
by Steve Haner Beginning next winter, low- income customers of Dominion Energy Virginia or Appalachian Power Company will be eligible to have their monthly bills capped under a new state financial assistance program. The income cut off to qualify for Virginia’s new Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) assisting low income households with their electric…
-
Correction: My Story on PIPP Was Wrong
Virginia’s Department of Social Services (DSS) has prepared a plan for the implementation of a cap on electricity costs for low-income customers of Virginia’s two main utilities. My report on June 27 that the plan was “missing in action” was wrong. For the most interested, you can find the DSS draft here, and it envisions…
-
Clean Virginia Win is Bad News for Gas Consumers
By Steve Haner Renewable energy donor Clean Virginia Fund was the biggest winner in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries, going head to head against Dominion Energy Virginia in several nomination contests and often winning. Senior incumbent Democrats with strong Green New Deal voting records went down to defeat, because good wasn’t good enough.
-
VRS “Diet COLA” Squeezes Pensions Second Time
by Steve Haner Virginia’s “Diet COLA” approach to calculating annual inflation increases to Virginia Retirement System pensions has constrained the increases once again. Beneficiaries will see a benefit increase of 5% effective July 1, up from the 3.85% increase they received a year ago. Both are below what they would have been if the increase…
-
RGGI Reg Repealed, But RGGI Tax Returns to Bills
by Steve Haner Virginia’s Air Pollution Control Board voted Wednesday to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, keeping Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s promise to eliminate the related carbon tax that has been imposed on electricity ratepayers under RGGI since January 2021. The bad news is the tax itself won’t disappear until at the…
-
VPM Reporter Digs Into Power For Tomorrow
Ben Paviour at Virginia Public Media has fleshed out additional substantial details on the political activities of Power for Tomorrow, a utility advocacy group with major funding from Dominion Energy Virginia. Questions asked and issues hinted at by this report on Bacon’s Rebellion now have more clarity. Yes, Paviour found quite a few Virginia incumbent…
-
Without Full $1B Tax Cut, Let July 1 Deadline Pass
by Steve Haner Because the federal government cannot operate without constantly borrowing money, members of Congress in both parties recently held their noses and voted for a compromise budget and borrowing deal. That need not and should not happen now in Virginia. There is no similar pressure in Virginia, even though the June 30 end…
-
New Jefferson Institute CEO: Derrick Max
The following was released this morning by the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy: The Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy announced today that Derrick Max has been appointed the new CEO and President of Virginia’s non-partisan, free-market public policy organization. An experienced thought leader and advocate, Derrick Max will succeed outgoing CEO Chris Braunlich,…