An Amber Alert the morning of Dec. 5 notified residents of the kidnapping of three children. By 6 p.m. the alert was cancelled, reported WLBT 3.
According to the news report, the three children “were waiting for the bus,” when a black four-door vehicle pulled up to the bus stop and took the children. Authorities confirmed the reported kidnapping took place at the Bobby’s Way apartment complex in Fishersville.
The Virginia State Police said via the article that the alert was cancelled after the children were found safe. Officials said it was determined that the children’s estranged biological mother, Shanice Davidson, was responsible for their disappearance.
Police reportedly believed the children, Jai’Marcus Lewis, 10, Ja’Miyah Lewis, 8, and Ja’Liyah Lewis,6, were with Davidson, who resides in Evergreen, Alabama. Deputies said the 911 call was from the children’s other parent at about 8:27 a.m.
Davidson was described as a 35-year-old Black female, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 184 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. According to the Alabama Highway Patrol and U.S. Marshals Service, Davidson was taken into custody in Birmingham Alabama, after a brief pursuit along Interstate 495.
Davidson was reportedly arrested on abduction warrants from the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office. The incident remains under investigation.
A trailblazing regional greenhouse gas partnership on the East Coast is considering possible changes or expansion that would allow it to keep building on its success — and the stakes grew higher last month with the reelection of Donald Trump.
The 11-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, established in 2005, is the country’s first regional cap-and-invest system for reducing carbon emissions from power generation. Since 2021, administrators have been conducting a program review, analyzing its performance since the last review in 2017 and weighing potential adjustments to make sure it continues to deliver benefits to member states.
The role of such programs is more crucial as Trump’s pledges to roll back federal climate action leaves it up to cities, states, and the private sector to maintain the country’s momentum on clean energy over the next four years. In RGGI, as the regional initiative is known, states have a potential model for scaling their impact through collaboration.
“RGGI has not only been an effective climate policy, it’s been an extraordinary example of how states can work together on common goals,” said Daniel Sosland, president of climate and energy nonprofit Acadia Center. “It is a major vehicle for climate policy now in the states, more than it might have seemed before the election.”
How RGGI works
RGGI sets a cap for total power plant carbon emissions among member states. Individual generators must then buy allowances from the state, up to the total cap, for each ton of carbon dioxide they produce in a year. The cap lowers over time, forcing power plants to either reduce emissions or pay more to buy allowances from a shrinking pool.
States then reinvest the proceeds from these auctions into programs that further reduce emissions and help energy customers, including energy efficiency initiatives, direct bill assistance, and renewable energy projects. Since 2008, RGGI has generated $8.3 billion for participating states, and carbon dioxide emissions from power generation in the nine states that have consistently participated fell by about half between 2008 and 2021, a considerably faster rate than the rest of the country.
“It has really thrived and been really effective across multiple administrations,” said Jackson Morris, state power sector director with the Natural Resources Defense Council. “RGGI is a winning model. It’s not theoretical — we’ve got numbers.”
Currently, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont are part of the program. Virginia joined RGGI in 2021, but in 2023 Gov. Glenn Youngkin repealed the state’s participation, a move immediately challenged in court; a judge ruled last month that the governor lacked the authority to withdraw the state from initiative, though a spokesman for the governor has declared the state’s intention to appeal.
There is widespread agreement that RGGI will endure despite likely federal hostility to climate measures. There was no attempt to take direct action against it during Trump’s first term, nor has there been any concerted industry opposition, said Conservation Law Foundation president Bradley Campbell, who was involved in the founding of RGGI when he was commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
Supporters also note that the program has historically had broad bipartisan support: Participating states have been led through the years by both Republican and Democratic governors and legislatures.
Politics has had some influence over the years, though only at the margins. New Jersey, a founding member of RGGI, left in 2011 when Chris Christie was governor, but returned in 2020 following an executive order from his successor. Pennsylvania joined in 2022 through an executive order from the governor, but its participation is now being challenged in court.
Still, RGGI’s foundations are solid and will remain so, experts said.
“The basic infrastructure has weathered the political winds over the decades,” Campbell said.
Looking forward
Nonetheless, RGGI will need to make some carefully thought-out program design decisions during its current review to make an impact in the face of falling federal support for decarbonization.
One question under consideration is whether to maintain the existing trajectory for the overall emissions cap for the program — a reduction of 30% between 2020 and 2030, then holding steady thereafter — or to continue lowering the limit after 2030.
The RGGI states are also contemplating a possible change to the compliance schedule that would require power generators to acquire allowances worth 100% of their carbon emissions each year, and certify compliance annually. The current system calls for certification every three years, and only mandates allowances equivalent to half of carbon emissions for the first two years of each period.
The program is looking for ways to appeal to potential new participant states that have less aggressive decarbonization goals than current member states without watering down the program’s overall impact on decarbonization, said Acadia Center policy analyst Paola Tamayo. Acadia suggested possible program mechanisms such as giving proportionately more allowances to states with more stringent emissions targets to incentivize tighter limits.
“At this point it is critical for states to maintain a high level of ambition when it comes to programs like RGGI,” Tamayo said. “There are different mechanisms that they can implement to accommodate other states.”
The program review is expected to yield a model rule some time over the winter, though updates may be made into the spring as the RGGI states receive and consider feedback on how to accommodate potential new participants.
States will also need to maintain and strengthen their own climate policies to magnify the impact of RGGI, Campbell said. He pointed to Massachusetts, where Gov. Maura Healey needs to show “bolder leadership,” he said, and Maine and Vermont, where the Conservation Law Foundation has filed lawsuits in an attempt to compel the states to meet their own carbon reduction deadlines.
“It’s especially important that the states that have strong emissions reduction mandates speed up the implementation of their climate laws,” he said. “State leadership on these issues is going to be more important than ever.”
Student transporters at Lincoln County Schools in West Virginia, alongside the Hamlin Volunteer Fire Department, Duval Volunteer Fire Department and Lincoln Emergency Services, created a mock bus crash to practice their response, reported WSAZ 3.
The mock bus crash reportedly took place on Oct. 29, with local EMS, fire departments and real people acting out the crash.
Peggy Stone, transportation director for Lincoln County Schools, told local news reporters that she believes it was a wonderful learning experience for everyone.
Jimmy Lacy, state director of transportation at the West Virginia Department of Education, also told local news reporters that “this does not happen often but in case of emergency when it actually does, it’s good for the first responders, even the bus drivers and the community to know how and what is going to happen in that situation.”
These types of mock crashes and drills should be encouraged so the community and first responders can know what to expect and how to act if an emergency occurs.
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va., – GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today announced that it has finalized the particulars for the order for 50 all-electric Type D BEAST and Mega BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST and Nano BEAST Access school buses for seven county school districts in West Virginia funded by the EPA Clean School Bus Program. The order is through GreenPower’s West Virginia dealer.
“EPA has previously awarded $18.5 million to purchase 50 GreenPower all-electric school buses and provide for the charging infrastructure associated with these purpose-built EVs,” said GreenPower President Brendan Riley. He noted the increase from the original 47 school buses announced by the EPA in January to the 50 school buses in the order is because Monongalia County School District is required to pay an additional $550,000 from its own school bus replenishment funds since the county is defined as non-priority by EPA.
“This electrification project is the type of activity Congress envisioned when it created the Clean School Bus Program in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” Riley continued. “It is a collaborative effort between seven West Virginia school districts, GreenPower, GreenPower’s statewide school bus dealer and an infrastructure provider to replace outdated, dirty diesel buses with a safe, sustainable and sensible clean alternative to get kids to and from school and extracurricular activities in a healthier environment.”
Development of the grant funded by EPA was a multi-step process designed to ensure the effective use of federal funds in deploying the most zero-emission school buses possible while creating a charging corridor throughout the state which allows for the all-electric school buses to operate both on local routes and longer distances.
“As the statewide dealer, we partnered with GreenPower as the OEM to first meet individually with each school district to gauge their interest in participating in the grant process. Each of the schools had participated in the #YesWV All-Electric School Bus Pilot Project, so they were familiar with GreenPower’s school buses and knew they were well suited to meet the transportation needs of their students,” said Steve Ellis, Vice President of Sales for GreenPower’s dealer. “The schools then all came together as a group and jointly decided how to proceed with the application process.”
GreenPower collaborated with its Dealer and Highland Electric Fleet and they, collectively, made depot visits to each school district to establish their needs. They then provided guidance on the charging infrastructure, drafted the application, met with the school districts’ Boards of Education for approval, and submitted the grant application to the EPA.
The 50 GreenPower buses will be distributed as follows:
Cabell County School District – 6 BEASTs
Calhoun County School District – 3 BEASTs and 1 Nano BEAST
Clay County School District – 3 BEASTs
Grant County School District – 3 BEASTs and 2 Nano BEASTs
Kanawha County School District – 21 BEASTs
Lewis County School District – 6 BEASTs
Monongalia County School District – 1 Mega BEAST and 4 Nano BEASTs
“GreenPower’s all-electric school buses are eligible for rebate funding under the current round of the federal Clean School Bus Program and for the California Zero-Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) program,” said Paul Start, GreenPower’s Vice President of Sales – School Bus Group. “Applications for the $965 million in Clean School Bus Program funding are due by January 9, 2025 and for the $500 million ZESBI funding by November 22, 2024.” For assistance with grant applications, school districts should contact Start at paul.s@greenpowermotor.com.
GreenPower’s BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D all-electric, zero-emission school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up, it is a unified structure that features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium on a high strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for tracking with no obstacles, and the high floors keep students out of the crash zone. Dual port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 85 kW.
The Mega BEAST has a class-leading range of up to 300 miles on a single charge via a 387 kWh battery pack. It provides for the longest range, has the biggest battery pack in the school bus market, provides for more uphill climbing power and has the most desirable V2G capability for a more stable electric grid and community sustainability in areas where it is deployed.
The School Transportation News award-winning Nano BEAST has a standard 118 kWh battery pack and a range of up to 140 miles. Configured for up to 24 passengers, it features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium. The dual port charging is standard, with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 60 kW. The Nano BEAST Access has seating for up to 18 ambulatory passengers and up to 3+ Q’STRAINT wheelchair securements, complemented with a BraunAbility rear curbside lift.
About GreenPower Motor Company, Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va.- GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (NASDAQ: GP) (TSXV: GPV) (“GreenPower”), a leading manufacturer and distributor of purpose-built, all-electric, zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles serving the cargo and delivery market, shuttle and transit space and school bus sector, today reported that it has delivered four all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission school buses in Arizona, California and West Virginia in the first half of the month and announced plans to deliver 6 more Type D BEAST school buses in California and West Virginia in the near term.
In West Virginia, GreenPower delivered the first of the 37 BEAST school buses ordered by the state to the Wyoming County School District through GreenPower’s dealer. “We have been operating a GreenPower Type A Nano BEAST Access in our school district and the experience has been incredible. It has been really nice for our students who need to be transported with wheelchairs,” said Wyoming County School District Superintendent John Henry. “We are excited to now have a Type D BEAST in our fleet and expect the kids are going to embrace this new clean ride as well.”
Three additional BEAST all-electric school buses manufactured at the company’s South Charleston plant are planned to be delivered in West Virginia within the next month. Monongalia County School District, who currently operates one Nano BEAST, one Nano BEAST Access and one BEAST, will receive these as part of the order from the state of West Virginia.
In the West, one Type A all-electric, purpose-built, zero-emission Nano BEAST was delivered by GreenPower’s Dealer the RWC Group to the Joseph City School District in Arizona and two BEAST school buses were delivered through GreenPower’s Dealer Model 1 to Garden Grove Unified School District in California. Garden Grove has already deployed four BEAST school buses on their routes and plan to receive two more by the end of October. One additional BEAST is expected to be delivered to the Brawley Elementary School District this month.
“These deliveries along with our current order book show the continued growth in demand for GreenPower’s school bus products,” said Paul Start, GreenPower’s Vice President of Sales – School Bus Group, noting that the company currently has 126 live orders of school buses representing more than $45 million in business. “We have seen a significant uptick with our sales pipeline as we’ve also quoted new orders for more than 180 school buses.”
GreenPower’s BEAST is a purpose-built 40-foot Type D all-electric, zero-emission school bus with seating for up to 90 students. Designed from the ground up, it is a unified structure that features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium on a high strength steel Truss (bus) chassis. The complete flat floor design allows for tracking with no obstacles, and the high floors keep students out of the crash zone. Dual port charging is standard with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 85 kW.
The School Transportation News award-winning Nano BEAST has a standard 118 kWh battery pack and a range of up to 140 miles. Configured for up to 24 passengers, it features a seamlessly integrated aluminum body made from extruded aluminum manufactured by Constellium. The dual port charging is standard, with Level 2 rates up to 19.2 kW and DC Fast Charging rates up to 60 kW.
The Type D BEAST and Type A Nano BEAST are both eligible for California HVIP vouchers and qualify for grants under the California Zero-Emission School Bus and Infrastructure (ZESBI) program. ZESBI grants pair zero-emission (ZE) school bus vehicle funding offered by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), with charging infrastructure funding offered by the California Energy Commission (CEC). A total of $500 million is appropriated by Senate Bill (SB) 114 for ZESBI for Fiscal Year 2023-24. Of that amount, $375 million is allocated to support the replacement of old school buses with ZE school buses and $125 million is allocated to support complementary infrastructure and associated costs. ZESBI utilizes a joint application for vehicles and infrastructure. The application process is open until November 22, 2024.
GreenPower all-electric school buses are also eligible for federal Clean School Bus Program funds administered by the EPA. Applications for the current rebate program round, funded at $965 million, are being accepted through January 9, 2025.
For the recent quarter ended September 30, 2024 GreenPower delivered 11 BEAST school buses in California and Oregon and delivered 11 EV Star Cargo Plus, EV Star Rear ADA and EV Stars.
About GreenPower Motor Company, Inc.
GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, cargo vans and a cab and chassis. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric vehicles that are purpose-built to be battery powered with zero emissions while integrating global suppliers for key components. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. GreenPower was founded in Vancouver, Canada with primary operational facilities in southern California. Listed on the Toronto exchange since November 2015, GreenPower completed its U.S. IPO and NASDAQ listing in August 2020. For further information go to www.greenpowermotor.com.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office in Virginia arrested a man on Thursday for alleged sexual assault of students in the school bus, reported ABC 7.
According to the news report, 22-year-old Miguel Velasques Velasco was taken into custody after he was accused of inappropriately touching students on a Spotsylvania County school bus. All the children were students with disabilities.
Detectives began an investigation and found evidence that indicated that Velasquez had assaulted three separate children between the ages of 4 and 5 on the school bus.
Officials arrested and charged Velasquez with eight counts of aggravated sexual battery of a child, two counts of indecent liberties of a child while in a custodial role, and one count of attempted sodomy of a child.
He was reportedly taken to the Rappahannock Regional Jail, where he remains held without bond.
Like many districts across the U.S., Virginia’s public schools have long struggled with a shortage of school bus drivers. However, state and local efforts are making strides to tackle this issue head-on.
According to data from alternative transportation provider HopSkipDrive, a staggering 91 percent of school districts reported facing driver shortages this year. These shortages significantly impacted operations, with 28 percent of school districts saying they are severely constrained by the lack of drivers and 62 percent stated they are somewhat constrained.
The shortage of school bus drivers is decreasing in Virginia, at least. Virginia Department of Education data from the past three school years shows about 700 fewer school bus driver vacancies out of a possible 13,000 positions statewide. That equates to an overall 5 percent improvement from the 2021-2022 to 2023-2024 school year.
Improving School Bus Driver
Vacancies in Virginia
According to Virginia Department of Education data obtained by School Transportation News, unfilled full-time school bus driver positions during the 2023-2024 school year were 1,090, or just under 11 percent of the 10,108 required positions. That figure fell from over 12 percent for the 2022-2023 school year, 1,203 vacancies for 9,772 required drivers. The 2021-2022 school year recorded 16 percent full-time driver vacancies (1,628 openings out of 10,209 required positions.
Meanwhile, vacant substitute driver positions came in at 225 for 2023-2024, equating to 10 percent of the number of part-time drivers required. The data also shows ver 11.5 percent of the required number of the 312 required sub drivers for 2022-2023 went vacant, and over 13.5 percent of the 421 required sub driver jobs in 2021-2022 went unfilled.
To better understand how Virginia schools are managing the ongoing bus driver shortage, School Transportation News spoke with Shannon Grimsley, the superintendent of Rappahannock County Public Schools, located about 70 miles southwest of Washington, D.C. Known locally as the “Superintendent Cheerleader,” Grimsley brings a unique perspective, balancing her administrative duties with hands-on experience as a part-time school bus driver.
Grimsley chose to take on the part-time role to “lead by example,” aiming to ensure reliable student transportation while gaining firsthand insight into the challenges drivers face. She described the experience as “incredibly rewarding,” noting how it deepened her understanding of recruitment and training barriers. Her time behind the wheel has also allowed her to advocate for meaningful changes within the system, making her a stronger voice for transportation improvements.
Her decision also had a ripple effect throughout the community. Grimsley’s involvement, she shared, “sparked conversations about the critical role of school bus drivers.” This hands-on approach inspired others to step up and fill much-needed positions. As a result, the district now boasts a fully staffed team of school bus drivers and substitutes, marking a significant improvement from previous years. More than just filling vacancies, her work helped open the door to broader discussions about changing bus driver training protocols—conversations that, she believes, will need to take place at the federal level to truly create lasting change.
According to Grimsley, Rappahannock County is fortunate to have stabilized its school bus driver shortage, but she remains cautious. “We still face challenges, particularly with updating our fleet,” she said, citing limited state funding and the rising costs of buses.
This issue is compounded by the lack of infrastructure for green alternatives, which poses a unique dilemma for rural areas like hers.
When asked about the broader situation across Virginia, Grimsley described it as a “mixed picture.” While some districts are making progress, thanks to financial incentives such as sign-on bonuses, others continue to struggle with recruitment. However, she highlighted that community engagement and the recognition of school bus drivers as essential workers have had a positive impact in some areas.
Looking toward long-term solutions, Grimsley emphasized the need for competitive pay and streamlined training. The current CDL requirements, she explained, include elements designed for tractor-trailer drivers, which present unnecessary barriers for those looking to become school bus drivers. This issue, she pointed out, often leads candidates to pursue higher-paying jobs in with trucking companies after receiving training paid for and provided by school systems, creating an ongoing retention problem.
For rural districts like Rappahannock, the challenges are even more complex. “Our geography plays a big role,” Grimsley explained, noting how the mountainous terrain leads to greater wear and tear on buses.
The lack of access to public transportation, coupled with the high costs of upgrading to alternative-fuel buses, creates further complications.
“We need more targeted support and innovative solutions,” she concluded, advocating for policies that address the unique transportation needs of rural communities.
When asked, whether the district currently has teachers splitting their time between teaching and driving school buses, Jim Ellis of Henrico County Public Schools, located downstate near Richmond, Virginia, responded with a firm, “No.” The director of transportation explained that while some districts might consider implementing such a program to address shortages, Henrico is not likely to follow suit.
“Unless they are volunteering to help out, I would not want them if they didn’t want to do [drive],” he clarified, emphasizing that this type of solution would only be effective if it was truly voluntary for educators.
As for the recent improvement in driver shortages reported statewide, Ellis confirmed that Henrico County has experienced some positive movement as well.
“Yes, we increased the starting wages to $25 [per hour],” he said, acknowledging that while the pay raise helped attract new drivers, other complications remain. “We still have a lot of compression, which is the next hurdle to retaining what we have.” .
Ellis pointed out that while offering higher wages has been an effective strategy for Henrico, sustaining these salary levels is an ongoing concern. “Maintaining that high salary and other staff also needing help, like in child nutrition, is a challenge,” he stated.
Balancing competitive compensation across multiple departments is necessary to prevent shortages from simply shifting from one area to another.
On the question of whether teacher-drivers will continue to play a role in solving these issues long-term, Ellis was unequivocal. “Not an option in Henrico,” he reminded. For now, he shared his focus remains on addressing the issue through wages and retention efforts rather than turning to temporary or stopgap solutions.
Ellis was also asked if resolving transportation issues could improve student attendance. He hesitated to draw a direct line between the two. “It would help, but I feel it has a lot of other factors combined. Unfortunately, I don’t know what they may be,” he explained.
This sentiment underscores the complexity of the issue, with many variables impacting overall attendance beyond transportation alone.
For rural school divisions still struggling, Ellis offered straightforward advice: “Without the ability to raise wages, it will be difficult in rural areas.”
RICHMOND, Va. — The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) is proud to announce the third annual National Propane Day on October 7, 2024 an opportunity to celebrate propane’s essential role in powering the everyday lives of Americans nationwide. The celebration also honors the hardworking men and women of the propane industry who ensure our lives are powered safely and efficiently with clean, affordable energy.
“Propane is more than just an energy source; it’s a critical component in keeping businesses, homes, and essential services running smoothly, safely, and efficiently,” said Tucker Perkins, president and CEO of PERC. “This is especially true for fleet owners who rely on propane autogas for everything from transporting students safely to and from school, to ensuring goods are delivered on time, to providing essential public transportation options for communities across the nation.”
As energy resiliency and sustainability remain top priorities for fleet owners, PERC encourages everyone to explore propane’s benefits as both a vehicle fuel and as an option to provide reliable, off-grid charging for electric fleets. Additionally, more fleet owners are tapping into renewable propane for their fleet’s energy source. Made from sustainable materials like vegetable oils, animal fats, and used cooking oil, renewable propane offers the same reliability as conventional propane, but with an even smaller carbon footprint.
Propane autogas-powered vehicles including school buses and commercial fleets reduce harmful emissions compared to other energy sources. There are thousands of propane autogas vehicles on the road from coast to coast. It is an ideal energy source for medium-duty (Class 3-7) vehicles that need a range of up to 400 miles per day and the ability to carry a heavier payload, all while significantly reducing emissions.
Today’s propane autogas engines are 90% cleaner than mandated EPA standards, with effectively zero particulate matter emissions and 96% fewer nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions than clean diesel engines. When these engines run on renewable propane, the emissions reductions move the industry even further down the path to zero.
“By adopting propane autogas vehicles and propane-powered EV charging, fleet owners are taking bold steps to significantly reduce their environmental impact and diversify the nation’s energy mix,” Perkins said. “By incorporating propane, Americans can reduce the strain on the electric grid while maintaining a cleaner and more resilient energy infrastructure.”
On October 7th, communities, businesses, and propane advocates across the country will join the Propane Council in celebrating National Propane Day. PERC invites fleet owners to learn more about how propane can provide them with a safe, resilient, and sustainable energy source at Propane.com/Fleet-Vehicles.
About PERC: The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies. PERC is operated and funded by the propane industry. For more information, visit Propane.com.
A Menchville High School Student was shot and killed while at his school bus stop on Tuesday.
The Newport News Police Department said officers responded at 6:18 a.m. to a “ShotSpotter activation” — a program that traces soundwaves to detect gun shots — near the 1200 block of 16th Street near Garden Drive in Newport News, Virginia. According to the Newport News Public Schools Website, there is a school bus stop near 16th Street and Garden Drive. School buses are scheduled to pick up students there at 6:17 a.m.
Police officers arrived at the scene and found a juvenile male suffering from at least one gunshot wound, which appeared to be life-threatening. Local media reported the Juvenile was 15 years old. NNPD said the boy was transported to an area hospital, where he died.
The investigation was ongoing at this report. There was also no confirmation of the school bus being at the scene when the shooting occurred. However, local media outlets reported a school bus left the scene at 7:15 a.m., and students who remained on the bus were safe. Photos of the scene show a school bus is present.
Newport News School Board and Newport News Public Schools released the following statement.
“The Newport News Public Schools family extends our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the Menchville High School student who tragically lost his life today. The school board, superintendent and administrative team will continue to support the family and our students and staff through the difficult days ahead.”
The statement adds that “members of the school division’s support and response team will be available to meet and talk with Menchville High students and staff for as long as they are needed. Support services are available at all schools.”
Correction: David Porter, vice president of electrification and sustainable energy strategy at EPRI, spoke generally about the challenges and opportunities of constructing data centers and coordinating with utilities. He did not speak specifically about the Southwest Virginia project.
Will Payne and Will Clear are all too aware of the skeptics.
But those doubters only fuel the duo’s vision for Southwest Virginia. The former Virginia state energy office bureaucrats turned private-sector consultants have an ambitious plan to repurpose land and backfill local taxes in communities left behind by the coal industry’s decline, and also pioneer new models for powering data centers with local clean energy.
Data Center Ridge is one piece of a nonprofit venture — Energy DELTA Lab — designed to transform 65,000 mostly contiguous acres of minelands where coal was king for decades into test sites that advance energy innovation. The project has the backing of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who announced an agreement last November establishing a framework for developing the land.
“If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked why we’re wasting our time on this, I wouldn’t have to work,” Clear, a former chief deputy director with the state Department of Energy. “This isn’t a pipedream. What people need to understand is how long a project like this takes.”
The first phase involves persuading tech companies to build solar-powered data centers on up to 2,000 acres of the now-defunct Bullitt Mine in Wise County. The facilities would be able to tap into underground mine water to help cool their servers. Eventually, they say, other energy sources such as wind turbines, pumped hydro storage, or small nuclear reactors could be added across the larger property.
“This is a big idea and we need someone who can share that vision,” said Payne, managing partner of Coalfield Strategies LLC. “We need developers who believe in ramped-up clean energy.”
Glenn Davis, director of the Virginia Department of Energy, said a couple of key factors are driving the state’s interest in the lab. Many data center companies are exclusively seeking sites where they can access 100% clean energy, and new clean power generation could cushion the grid impact from the state’s booming data center sector.
“Southwest Virginia was the energy capital of the East Coast and I believe it will be again,” Davis said in an interview. “There’s a power void that needs to be filled and solar is part of that.”
Dovetails with Youngkin energy plan
DELTA, shorthand for Discovery, Education, Learning & Technology Accelerator Lab, is just one enterprise Davis is tracking as he coordinates Youngkin’s all-of-the-above Energy Plan.
Last fall, Youngkin said the intent is to attract private and public dollars to flesh out a portfolio that also draws wind, hydrogen, large-scale batteries, pumped-storage hydropower and eventually, perhaps, small modular nuclear reactors when and if that nascent technology matures. Any carbon-cutting realized by lab energy projects wouldn’t count toward Virginia’s landmark Clean Economy Act because the faraway area is served by a Lexington-based power company, Kentucky Utilities. The VCEA requires only the state’s largest investor-owned generators — Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power — to achieve a carbon-free grid by 2045 and 2050, respectively.
That doesn’t bother Youngkin, Davis said.
“What’s driving the governor’s interest is jobs, businesses and an improved quality of life,” said Davis, appointed as an agency head in April 2023. “We’re excited because the opportunity for growth there is larger than any other in the state.”
Dallas-based Energy Transfer owns the acreage, roughly 101 square miles. The lab is coordinating site development with Wise County officials and the landowner. Some of the acreage is still being mined for metallurgical coal, the type used for steelmaking and other industries. However, much of the property, including inactive Bullitt Mine, is being reclaimed.
On paper, the dozen or so projects on the drawing board, including Data Center Ridge, could generate 1,600-plus jobs, add 1 GW of new power and induce $8.25 billion in private investments, Payne said. First, however, they have to move beyond the conversation stage.
Payne and Clear, DELTA’s chief advisers, are counting on their matchmaking skills to revive a region often depicted as down on its heels.
Clear grew up in Smyth County, east of Wise County. Payne recently moved to Washington County on the Virginia-Tennessee border. The Richmond native left a position as chief deputy at the state energy department in 2019 to direct InvestSWVA, an incubator invented to diversify the region’s economy and curb carbon emissions. Appalachian Grains was one of their previous energy-related joint ventures.
Tax revenues from data centers are the boost local governments need to fill the coal gap, they say.
“Plain and simple, public safety, education, health care, municipal services and other core government sources are at risk of falling off a cliff if we do nothing,” said Clear. “We’re trying to solve this crisis.”
Is SW Virginia the next ‘tertiary market’?
Josh Levi, president of the Loudoun County-based Data Center Coalition, said Southwest Virginia shouldn’t be dismissed as too inaccessible or mountainous for data center development.
Recently, the burgeoning industry began expanding into off-the-beaten path “tertiary markets,” he said. For instance, he pointed to a deal Amazon Web Service announced this year to spend $10 billion on two data center complexes in Mississippi.
It was only a few years ago that the industry reached into secondary markets such as Columbus, Ohio, and San Antonio, Texas, after initially concentrating its investments primarily in Silicon Valley, New York-New Jersey, Dallas, Chicago, Northern Virginia, Atlanta and Phoenix.
In Virginia alone, there’s a southward shift as more data centers pop up around Fredericksburg and Richmond.
“What they’re doing is credible,” Levi said about Payne and Clear. “My understanding is that they have seen levels of interest from data center developers. Whether the opportunities they’re leveraging lines up with the business needs of data centers remains an open question.”
For instance, he said, Southwest Virginia might be the right fit for backing up federal data but less so for applications such as live-streaming video or trading stocks.
Loudoun County and surrounding Northern Virginia are home to almost 300 data centers, the biggest concentration of such campuses in the world. It’s the crossroads for roughly 70% of global internet traffic.
Prolific construction of the mega-buildings that make cloud computing possible — combined with the accompanying need for transmission lines for electricity and water for cooling — have caused an uproar among community activists alarmed about their impact on local infrastructure and the environment.
Such large-scale growth prompted a tongue-in-cheek comment from Democratic state Sen. Danica Roem about exporting data centers from Prince William, the county she represents, to Tazewell County, just east of the proposed Data Center Ridge.
In an interview with the Energy News Network, Roem said she would only support siting data centers in Southwest Virginia if the projects have widespread community buy-in, are powered with renewable energy and are built on reclaimed coal mines that don’t require clearcutting of forests, which serve as carbon dioxide sinks. Utility customers shouldn’t be saddled with paying for the expensive buildout of transmission infrastructure, she added.
“I don’t want to simply shift the problems we’re having here to Southwest Virginia and create problems for the residents there,” Roem said. “If they’re building data centers there, are they going to stop digging in my district?”
Roem has joined other legislators introducing bills aimed at reining in data center growth and controlling the resources the buildings require. For instance, compared to a typical office building, the U.S. Energy Department estimates one data center needs 50 times more electricity.
‘A lot of potential hurdles’
David Porter, vice president of electrification and sustainable energy strategy for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based Electric Power Research Institute, said there are numerous challenges and opportunities when it comes to coordinating data centers’ power needs with utilities.
“These data centers could be a really neat idea if they can work around a lot of potential hurdles,” Porter said. High on his checklist of potential limiting factors are access to a reliable electric grid connection, battery storage to fill gaps and “major league” fiber optic cable for communications.
He emphasized that even a modest number of data centers can’t rely on renewable energy 24/7. Backup power, typically provided by diesel-powered generators, is needed to keep the centers operating when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.
As well, he said, even larger data centers in the gigawatt range generate far fewer jobs than a manufacturing center.
Payne and Clear said they are far from naïve about the difficulty of solving grid and broadband issues, which they know will take years, not months, to remedy, and that the jobs will be impactful in a region where the average annual income is $42,000.
“In Southwest Virginia, we’ve seen plenty of manufacturers pick up and leave, and that wouldn’t be the case with wind turbines and data centers.”
Their models show that one 36 MW data center, considered to be a mid-size project, would generate about 50 jobs paying $134,300 a year. In an ideal scenario, the size of Data Center Ridge would eventually expand more than 25-fold to 1,000 MW.
DELTA Lab recently collaborated with a local industrial facilities authority to offer a financial incentive for data center developers, Clear noted. It translates to Wise, Lee, Scott and Dickenson counties and the city of Norton offering a tax rate on data center equipment of 24 cents per $100 of assessed value. By far, it’s the lowest such rate in the state.
“The more persuasive argument for data centers here is about sustainability for local governments and their citizens,” Clear said. “This creates a new trajectory for tax collections for the next 50 years.”
Water source easy, electricity not so much
The sites they’re eyeing for data centers are atop an estimated 6 billion to 10 billion gallons of underground 55-degree mine water, which offers a less-costly method for cooling the hot air generated by hundreds of servers.
It’s not an aquifer. Over the years, rainwater has been filtered by the limestone and sandstone as it trickled through fissures and cracks and landed in cavities created as coal deposits were removed. The pools of water are as deep as 1,000 feet below the surface.
Four years before ushering in DELTA Lab, Payne and Clear had procured a state grant to study the water supply. Since then, they have been collaborating with engineers to devise a closed-loop water system that could chill the centers and eventually pump the water back underground to be reused after the Earth removes the heat it absorbed.
Drilling of test wells by a geotechnical company is scheduled to begin this fall. That exploration is funded by the federal government and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy.
In the meantime, a looming challenge is securing the flow of electricity to and from Data Center Ridge. Even if on-site solar arrays with backup battery storage are the initial power source, the project needs to have sufficient substations, transmission lines and other infrastructure to tie into the grid. That way, excess electricity can be shipped out and “imported” electrons can fill any deficits.
Payne and Clear are talking with Kentucky Utilities — which does business in Wise and four other Virginia counties as Old Dominion Power — about upgrading and adding infrastructure. That analysis is part of a larger effort spearheaded by county officials to meet long-term energy demand in Southwest Virginia.
One plus, Clear said, is that siting the buildout of substations and transmission lines will be less difficult on property with one landowner. However, he also knows investor-owned utilities often aren’t keen on asking ratepayers to fund infrastructure built to serve one distant customer.
Davis said his agency would likely pursue federal Energy Department money to construct transmission infrastructure.
Data Center Ridge has the potential to boost the utility’s renewable energy portfolio, which is 1% of a generation energy mix that is heavy on coal, 84%, and natural gas, 15%.
Although every component of their blueprint presents a separate set of obstacles, the entrepreneurs say outsiders’ perception of Appalachia is the chief hindrance.
“Even after making our case since 2019, dispelling myths about the region is our first challenge in getting developers down here,” Payne said. “They think everybody is on meth and lives in shanties.”
They persist to prove their doubters wrong.
“Everything is teed up here to be executed,” Clear said. “It’s getting that first domino to drop that’s really important.”
Pleasant County Schools in Belmont, West Virginia, canceled classes on Monday after a fire near the bus garage damaged some of the fleet.
The district released a statement via social media announcing that they would be closed due to an active fire at a business near the district’s bus garage.
Videos circulated around social platforms, showing the magnitude of the fire. School was cancelled on Monday as a precaution until all buses could be inspected.
Eric Croasmun, director of curriculum, instruction and personnel for the county schools, told local news reporters that inspection revealed the fire had damaged seven of the district’s buses but stated that it could have been a whole lot worse.
In another statement on socials, the district confirmed that school would resume a normal schedule on Tuesday as all buses in use had been inspected and safe for use. For now, the district is using spare buses until the ones that were damaged are repaired.
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