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Virginia’s first shared solar facilities come online
Virginia’s first “shared solar” facilities are now online, and the state is set for a major expansion. Shared solar is a way for people who cannot afford solar panels, or do not own land to put them on, to tap the sun and save on power bills. For utility customers who sign up for these, or the other shared solar facilities set to start in the months ahead, the electricity that shared solar systems feed into Dominion Energy’s grid translates to a 10% credit against their power bills.
Warner promises tough talk with postmaster general on Richmond mail service
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., expects to have some tough things to say about Richmond’s mail service when he sits down soon with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, he told the Richmond Times Dispatch editorial board on Friday. Virginia has the worst on-time mail delivery record in the nation, and a recent audit of the Richmond Regional Processing and Distribution Center in Sandston found an egregious lack of attention to detail, ranging from losing mail that falls off conveyor belts, to poor coordination between processing machines and trucks moving mail.
Virginia to spend up to $12 million on Pharrell biopic filmed in Richmond, Hampton Roads
A movie musical based on Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams’ childhood could earn more than $12 million in state incentives to film in Richmond and Hampton Roads, according to state film office documents obtained by The Virginian-Pilot. In return, the film’s production could bring a total estimated statewide economic impact of about $84 million, Virginia Film Office Director Andy Edmunds said. The production will be based in Richmond with some photography in Virginia Beach, according to the project’s application for the incentives.
Google plans $1B data center investment in Northern Va.
Google plans a $1 billion investment in Northern Virginia data centers, and in welcoming the move, Gov. Glenn Youngkin said it underscores the need for his “all of the above” energy plan, citing a controversial proposal for a gas-fired power plant in Chesterfield County as an example. Google’s investment will include expanding its two Loudoun County data centers and building a third facility in Prince William County, said Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google and its parent firm Alphabet.
Richmond baseball stadium project’s unlikely supporters: Labor unions
The city of Richmond’s plan to build a new minor-league baseball stadium has gained a groundswell of support from more than just baseball fans. The plan has found favor with union workers. The Diamond District project calls for the developers to hire a minimum number of union workers, small businesses and minority-owned businesses to build the $110 million stadium, the infrastructure and the development around it.
Corneliussen: Restore Fort Monroe’s 1619 name: Point Comfort
Virginia is considering a great idea: restoring the original name of the place where the arc of the moral universe bent toward emancipation. In 1619 as “Point Comfort,” that historic landscape saw the dawn of British North America’s slavery. In 1861 as “Fort Monroe,” it saw the dawn of U.S. slavery’s demise. True, dropping the military name could offend people such as me — a former Navyman, son of a Navyman, married in Fort Monroe’s chapel to a soldier’s daughter. But way more importantly, that Chesapeake Bay landscape uniquely commemorates the struggles of the planet’s first nation to found itself on freedom.
Google announces $1B for data center expansion in Loudoun, Prince William counties
Google on Friday announced a $1 billion investment to expand its Virginia data centers, including two Loudoun County sites and a newly opened Prince William County campus. Google President and CEO Ruth Porat was joined by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin at the company’s Reston headquarters to announce the initiative, which brings Google’s total investment in the state to more than $4.2 billion. The company also announced two new AI workforce development initiatives — a $75 million AI opportunity fund and a new Google AI essentials Coursera course — to help workers lean about the new technology.