Officials from Southwest Virginia have mounted a huge push to oppose the possible early closure of one of the country’s newest coal plants. The Dominion Energy facility in Wise County that opened eight years ago is frequently touted as the cleanest of its type. It could close decades sooner than expected under a sweeping rewrite of Virginia’s energy generation policy. Democrats are advancing the changes through the General Assembly, saying they will help address climate change. The plant’s supporters have called its potential early retirement a “tragedy” that would blow a hole in the budgets of two localities and devastate the region.
