The VPM Daily Newscast contains all your Central Virginia news in just 5 to 10 minutes. Episodes are recorded the night before.
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Here’s a recap of the top stories on the morning of Dec. 2, 2024:
State legislators consider new solar project requirements
Reported by VPM News’ Patrick Larsen
Virginia’s position in energy planning could be described as being between a rock and a hard place. The commonwealth has competing goals and needs — on the one hand, a Democratic trifecta established the Virginia Clean Economy Act in 2020, which requires the state’s energy producers to eliminate carbon emissions from electricity generation to zero by 2050.
That’s based on the fact that the power sector is one of Virginia’s biggest producers of greenhouse gases, which are the leading cause of global climate change.
On the other hand, the state’s energy demand outlook has changed considerably since 2020. The rapid build-out and approval of data centers in Virginia is expected to drive a doubling in demand over the next 15 years. That means the state has to build more energy infrastructure, and fast — and the always-on nature of those facilities means intermittent sources like solar won’t always be able to power them.
CEUR executive director Carrie Hearne presented a proposal designed to help localities and regional planning districts evaluate solar energy and energy storage facilities — and to eliminate local ordinances that make it impossible to build solar.
Tidewater Community College offers child care to students, community
Reported by VPM News’ Megan Pauly
On a Tuesday in mid-November, preschoolers at Tidewater Community College’s Norfolk child care center are instructed to draw things they can measure: everything from snakes to windows and bricks.
The center is conveniently located inside the student center. All qualifying Tidewater students can send their kids ages 2–5 here free of charge, through a federal grant program called CCAMPIS, which stands for Child Care Access Means Parents in School.
Hazell Pulido is a 25-year-old single mom, and is grateful that her academic adviser told her about this program for her 3-year-old son, Legacy. Before enrolling Legacy in the program, Pulido’s mom was helping care for him while she searched for child care elsewhere. But everything she found was too expensive.
With Legacy at home, Pulido said it was hard to find time to study. Now, that’s not an issue.
“During the times where I don't have classes and he's in daycare, I could focus on my homework so I won't be behind,” Pulido said. “That's a good thing. That's a really good thing.”
In other news:
- Virginia to be one of 6 states to require exit exams for high school graduation (Richmond Times-Dispatch)*
In case you missed it:
- Virginia Department of Corrections confirm inmates burned themselves; lawmakers want investigation (Virginia Mercury)
- Their treaty predates the Constitution. Now the Mattaponi want recognition. (Washington Post)*
*This outlet utilizes a paywall.
