Virginia Won't Say Whether its Official Spoke at Gas Industry Panel on Curbing Pipeline Protesters

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A high-ranking Virginia state official was listed as participating in a gas industry-sponsored panel that discussed strategies for confronting public opposition to new infrastructure projects, including the Atlantic Coast pipeline. Yet Governor Terry McAuliffeโ€™s administration has refused to provide any explanation or even confirm the officialโ€™s appearance on theย panel.

The panel took place during the American Gas Associationโ€™s (AGA) State Affairs Meeting, held in early October this year in Scottsdale, Arizona. Also presenting on the panel was a Dominion Energy executive, Bruce McKay, who shared his companyโ€™s experience in countering protests and engaging in what he called a political โ€œcampaign to elect aย pipeline.โ€

McKay, Dominion Energyโ€™s policy director, provided tips on โ€œsiting fossil fuel infrastructure in the age of โ€˜keep it in the ground.โ€™โ€ The panel on which he spoke, titled โ€œโ€˜Heard it Through the Pipeline:โ€™ Proactive Strategies for Securing Infrastructure,โ€ was first reported by the Washington Post.ย ย 

DeSmog now reports that another speaker listed on the same panel was none other than Virginiaโ€™s Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Hayes Framme. In recent years, Virginia has become a flashpoint for gas pipeline opposition, with activists and residents mobilizing against the Dominion-led plans for the Atlantic Coast pipeline.ย Documents from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) indicate that Framme was involved in agency discussions concerning the Atlantic Coast pipeline in the early stages of theย project.

American Gas Association panel 'Heard it Through the Pipeline' listing Hayes Framme and Bruce McKay as presenters
From the AGAโ€™s meeting agenda, describing the panel including Virginiaโ€™s Deputy Secretary of Commerce Framme and Dominionโ€™sย McKay.

According to Frammeโ€™s LinkedIn profile, just a few days ago he moved from public service to the private industry, taking a position as government relations and communications manager for Orsted, a Danish renewable energy company that recently sold all its investments in fossilย fuels.ย ย 

Governor Terry McAuliffe first appointed Framme to public office in 2014, then serving as an advisor for infrastructure and development. Last year he was promoted to the role of the stateโ€™s Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade. He previously worked as a lobbyist for the Richmond-based firm Capital Results. In recent years, the firm represented several energy and utility companies, including Alpha Natural Resources, EQT Corp, and Appalachian Power. It has also worked for a number of renewable energyย companies.

โ€˜We Are All in Thisย Togetherโ€™

The AGA meeting took place at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort and Villas, between October 8 and 11. According to the agenda, a copy of which DeSmog has obtained, the meetingโ€™s goals were to โ€œshare strategies on how legislators, regulators, utilities and industry can cooperate on utility initiativesโ€ and โ€œreview how companies are strategizing on keyย issues.โ€

According to the agenda, the panel which included Framme was focused on ways the gas industry can deal with anti-pipeline protests and how it should interact with government regulators to promote such projects. The description for the panel reads asย follows:

โ€œAnti-fossil fuel sentiment continues to gain momentum and garner support across the country. In some instances, this has led to the delay or termination of natural gas infrastructure projects in certain jurisdictions. This panel will provide insight relative to how companies are addressing this challenge and pursing infrastructure development in various parts of the country. As well, we will hear from public officials who will provide their perspectives on pipeline expansion and how companies should think about interfacing with states and localities as they pursue these types ofย projects.โ€

Dominionโ€™s McKay accompanied his talk with several PowerPoint slides. He began with โ€œOpening Thoughtsโ€ such as โ€œwe are all in this together,โ€ and โ€œthe problem is more serious that [sic] anyone in this room realizes.โ€ After providing the audience with a brief overview of the Atlantic Coast pipeline, McKay proceeded to describe the โ€œPermittingย Landscape.โ€

According to him, โ€œthis historically non-political process is now political,โ€ with the โ€œKeystone XL, DAPL [Dakota Access pipeline], and NY state providing inspiration, tactics.โ€ He continued that โ€œsocial media is a game changer โ€“ cheap, fast, no fact checking,โ€ and that โ€œbanks [are] increasinglyย targeted.โ€

McKay next spoke on โ€œOpposition Tactics.โ€ These, he said, are โ€œconstantly evolving,โ€ warning his listeners that a โ€œpermit delayed can mean permit denied.โ€ He argued that after Trumpโ€™s election opposition has been โ€œmore aggressive,โ€ with โ€œevents staged for media consumptionโ€ and โ€œoutrage and intimidation now common tools.โ€ McKay added that opponents aim to โ€œdelegitimize the processโ€ by presenting โ€œcompanies [as] immoral, regulators [as] corrupt, processes [as]ย rigged.โ€

โ€˜We Have the Truth andย Resourcesโ€™

McKay then spoke of the specific strategies employed by Dominion, under the headline โ€œLessons Learned.โ€ Pipeline companies cannot โ€œremain below the radarโ€ but instead โ€œmust create and maintain a political environment which allows permitting agencies to do their work.โ€ He continued that pipeline โ€œopponents have intensity โ€“ we have the truth and resources,โ€ adding that โ€œif you want fair media coverage you need to pay forย it.โ€

He ended by describing Dominionโ€™s various strategies to gain political support for the Atlantic Coast pipeline โ€“ what he called โ€œthe campaign to elect a pipelineโ€ โ€“ through fundraising, messaging (โ€œdefine early โ€“ or be definedโ€), earned media, polling, advertising, social media, third party endorsements, and โ€œget out theย vote.โ€

He ended his presentation with what he called โ€œMcKayโ€™s Adage,โ€ in which he said โ€œthere are no friends in politics, only the temporary alignments of interests.โ€ย ย ย ย ย ย ย 

In addition to McKay and Deputy Secretary Framme, the other presenter on this panel was Pete Sheffield, Vice President of Energy Policy and U.S. Governmental Affairs atย Enbridge.

The state of Virginia is keeping a tight lip about the conference and whether Framme actually participated. DeSmog asked Hayes Framme to comment on this story. Specifically, he was asked about his participation on the panel and whether the AGA had funded his expenses to attend the meeting. He declined toย comment.

Meghan Welch, spokesperson for Virginiaโ€™s Secretary of Commerce and Trade, also declined to comment despite severalย requests.

Brian Coy, spokesperson for Governor McAuliffe, did not provide comment either, despite a number of requests.ย ย ย ย ย 

A request for comment from the AGA went unanswered.ย ย ย 

Main image: Anti-pipeline sign posted opposing the Atlantic Coast pipeline.ย Credit:ย cool revolution,ย CC BYNCNDย 2.0

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Itai Vardi is a sociologist and freelance journalist. He lives and works in Boston,ย Massachusetts.

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