This blog post is written by Stephanie, a CCAN fellow reporting from Fredericksburg, where CCAN has just opened a new office to educate local electric co-op members that they have a say in whether the $6 billion coal plant that’s been proposed for the Hampton Roads area of VA goes forward. Throughout the summer, our fellows will be writing posts on our progress.

Since starting two weeks ago I have learned a lot about the proposed coal plant and all of the devastation it would cause to the sensitive Chesapeake Bay ecosystems, many of them already struggling. As well as the more immediate effects it would have on the people of the electric co-ops who would necessarily see an increase in rates, one that as I have heard could break some of these families or older couples already experiencing tough times in this economy. What’s more, even if they are not in such dire financial straits, they are going to be paying for this $6 billion plant whether they support it or not and most of them have never even heard of it! One of the most motivating things about the campaign (in addition to the purely environmental) is finding out and then changing the fact that almost none of the co-op member-owners seem to have any clue about what kind of dirty energy their money is being invested in!
The most fun thing I’ve done on the job with CCAN is in–person volunteer recruitment! With only four of us here for the summer and the small CCAN staff, volunteers are critical to the campaign’s success. We have a super awesome dedicated team of people in and out of the office/house, but there is just no way we could possibly talk to thousands of co-op members and concerned VA citizens by ourselves. I think it’s very empowering for people to know that they do have a voice and a vote in their co-ops just like in government (and maybe even more so). What’s even better letting people directly see the results of empowering their friends, families and people they don’t even know with this info. Volunteering for something likes this not only empowers people but has direct and tangible positive impact on this earth upon which we live. Actually being able to see the good you have done by volunteering at the end of just one short summer is especially important in a society like ours that has become so concerned with instant gratification.
Having done a lot of volunteering for different organizations and causes, I can tell you that it’s not often an opportunity like this comes along. When you gut a house battered by a hurricane or work with children in a very low-income/high risk neighborhood you feel great and gratified, but it’s different than working on a huge scale project like stopping the biggest and dirtiest coal plant ever proposed in VA (a huge coal state) and seeing your successes make a huge difference in front of your eyes. Every co-op member contacted or volunteer recruited is a HUGE step in stopping this plant and that’s why I would encourage anyone around the area to definitely stop in and volunteer as early and often as possible! If you’re anywhere near Fredericksburg or just want to come visit in for one of our big events or even host a satellite phone bank in your area, I would love for anybody to email me.