Understory: the Official Blog of RAN

Dominion CEO Punk’d!

UPDATE #2: Check out a video of the SF actions on YouTube

UPDATE: Dominion posted audio of the presentation to its website (fast forward to the 30 minute mark for the Q&A).

Just back from Bank of America’s 38th annual investors conference at the Ritz here in San Francisco.  Thomas F. Farrell, II, the esteemed notorious CEO of Dominion was presenting to analysts on the company’s financial outlook. Fortunately, we were also there to greet him too.

Mid-way through his podium presentation, however, images of this morning’s protest popped up on one of the screens behind him. Unaware that his power point had been modified, Farrell waxed on about the bright future of coal as confused murmurs began to emanate from the audience of analysts and investors.

After the presentation, a member of the audience asked if Dominion planned to phase out of “dirty coal” given the near certainty of climate change and congressional action to limit fossil fuels. To make a long, stumbling story short: “no”. Next, I stood up to ask why not.  Again, to paraphrase: “because there’s lots of coal, so we’re going to burn it.”

Great.  Good plan. Meantime, we’ll keep prodding Dominion, its investors and other industry fossils toward a future that meets the climate challenge. Notice to Wall Street: The ostrich strategy isn’t working.

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17 Responses to “Dominion CEO Punk’d!”

  1. Levana Says:

    This sounds awesome! thanks for making me laugh and cheer while on the road. Can’t wait to see pictures.

  2. CCAN Blog » Peaceful Protesters Lock their Bodies to Dominion Power Plant Says:

    [...] Posted by susanna on 15 Sep 2008 at 09:46 am | Tagged as: Coal, Direct Action, Virginia UPDATE: Dominion CEO Punk’d! [...]

  3. Wise Up Dominion! « It’s Getting Hot In Here Says:

    [...] organized from Coast (NYC) to Coast (CA). In San Francisco more Rainforest Action Network activists infiltrated the Bank of America annual investors’ conference and managed to secretly swap out Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell’s presentation with our own – [...]

  4. Tony Says:

    Excellent work at the BofA investors conference ! Keep up the pressure on these dirty, evil greed-mongers.

  5. Paula Says:

    For all the money banks invest in coal, think how beautiful our world would be if they invested that money in renewable energy instead.

  6. jean layton Says:

    bravo.. bravo.. send this to OBAMA.. he needds to know of your good works..

  7. Wise Up Dominion! « praxis makes perfect. Says:

    [...] organized from Coast (NYC) to Coast (CA). In San Francisco more Rainforest Action Network activists infiltrated the Bank of America annual investors’ conference and managed to secretly swap out Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell’s presentation with our own – [...]

  8. The Understory » Wise Up Dominion! Says:

    [...] organized from Coast (NYC) to Coast (CA). In San Francisco more Rainforest Action Network activists infiltrated the Bank of America annual investors’ conference and managed to secretly swap out Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell’s presentation with our own – [...]

  9. Stacy Says:

    Great Job! Thanks for standing up for this issue and the communities it affects, America needs a new and better energy policy!

  10. Anne Ruffner Says:

    We need a similar action at a proposed copper mining site in N. California at the headwaters of the Feather River, one of the main sources of water for the Central Valley. A Canadian Company, Nevoro is doing exploratory drilling, and planning a “World Class Mine.”

  11. Matthew Sutherland Says:

    Hey yall!
    Most of you know who I am. For those that don’t My name is Matt Sutherland and I live near the purposed power plant. Each and every day I ride my motorcycle to the construction site to remind Dominion I’m not going to let it go.
    My ancestors have lived in these mountains for over five generation, in fact, we were here longer than there has been an independent “United States of America”. These mountains are my birthright and when I look at what is being done it feels like I am watching a family member being raped or murdered.
    Outsiders with deep pockets have bought our lands and butchered our communities and heritage.
    On 9-11 terrorist blew up the twin towers in New York killing thousands. Our government waisted no time in going to war. For the last 100 years coal barons have destroyed hundreds of our towers (mountains) and killed thousands of us from mining, black lung, and toxins. Nobody went to war for us. Is this a double standard? Are our lives worth less because our towers were not created by men?
    We are so insignificant that the burial sites of our grandparents are dug up and moved to get to the black rock under them.
    Thanks for your help and continued help in stopping the wholesale destruction of my mountains and the genocide of my people.

  12. ryanne hodson Says:

    please tell you you got video of this action! i would love to see it.

  13. Dorothy Bailey Says:

    I applaud all those who’ve stood up to big mining and who
    oppose mountaintop removal. Good for you!

  14. Dorothy Bailey Says:

    NO TO DOMINION’S DIRTY ENERGY!

  15. Root Force » Blog Archive » Lockdown at Virginia Coal Plant Under Construcion Says:

    [...] (9/19/2008): Later that day, activists managed to insert images of the lockdown into a powerpoint presentation being given by Dominion CEO Thomas F. Farrell [...]

  16. watch burn notice Says:

    burn notice is my favorite show on usa

  17. Emo Says:

    This is the greatest ^_^

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