Hello Cardinal News readers. Welcome back to Cardinal Commerce Notes, our regular feature catching you up on various recent business news items.
If you missed last week’s edition, check it out here to learn more about a power transformer factory opening in Wytheville, Lynchburg’s upgraded GIS website and more than $1 million in grants headed to Campbell County.
I’m always on the lookout for news tips. Please email me at matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn and message me there.
Lynchburg airport to get $8 million in upgrades
The Lynchburg Regional Airport will get $8 million in federal funding to expand its terminal, add public seating and extend greeter areas as part of an investment in “family friendly facilities,” according to a news release from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy.
The airport will also have old copper telecommunications lines replaced with fiber early next year, new radars by February, new displays for air traffic controllers by March and new radios for pilots by January 2028, according to the release.
Duffy and U.S. Rep. John McGuire, R-Goochland County, visited Lynchburg on Thursday to tour the airport and meet with regional business leaders.
“This Administration recognizes that our rural communities are the backbone of this country, doing hard work to transport goods, farm lands, and raise patriotic families. This is where America’s heart beats,” Duffy said in the release.
The Lynchburg airport investment is part of a $970 million package across 45 states funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
Separately, Danville will receive $62,871 for the first phase of a project at Danville Regional Airport to construct a new aircraft hangar, according to a May 22 news release from Democratic U.S. Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine.
That comes after Warner and Kaine’s announcement last month that the Danville airport would get $439,850 to rehabilitate taxiway and runway lighting.
Appalachian Power seeks more wind, solar energy
Appalachian Power is seeking proposals for solar, wind and renewable energy certificates to help it meet state renewable-energy requirements.
The company said it wants bids for purchasing up to 800 megawatts of solar and/wind power-generating resources, preferably in Virginia or West Virginia.
Separately, Appalachian is seeking bids for up to 300 megawatts of solar, wind and hydroelectric resources, from which the company would buy power rather than own the power plant.
In its third request, the company is looking to buy renewable energy certificates, which are essentially proof that a megawatt-hour of electricity was produced by a renewable energy source. Companies can buy these certificates to satisfy legal requirements for having renewable energy in their portfolios.
The Virginia Clean Economy Act, passed in 2020, requires the state’s two largest electric utilities, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, to achieve carbon-free energy portfolios by 2020.
Deadlines and other details about the requests are available on Appalachian Power’s website.
Appalachian Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power, serves about 540,000 customers in western Virginia.
Danville chamber to host employment law webinar
The Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce will host a free virtual seminar on June 16 about major employment law changes expected this year.
The webinar will be held at noon that day. While free to attend, registration is required.
Steven Gould, president and CEO of PLDR Law, which has offices in Danville and Lynchburg, will lead the session.
Topics will include pay transparency requirements, tightening of noncompete rules, minimum wage forecasting, wage and hour laws, paid leave requirements and practical compliance strategies, according to a news release from the chamber.
“This webinar will provide employers with practical guidance and help them better understand how to prepare for these changes before they take effect,” Megan Gould, COO of PLDR Law and a Danville Pittsylvania chamber board member, said in the release.
The chamber said it “encourages businesses of all sizes to attend, whether they have dedicated HR staff or are navigating employment compliance independently.”
That’s a wrap for this week. Do you know of a new business expanding or relocating in your town? Excited about a restaurant opening up soon? Maybe you’ve got an update on a story we’ve reported before. Please send me your tips and suggestions: matt@cardinalnews.org or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Correction, June 2: U.S. Rep. John McGuire’s title was incorrect in an earlier version of this story.
