Moving towards a clean energy economy in Virginia

On Earth Day 2015, Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a package of six clean-energy jobs bills carried by a bipartisan group of legislators (six Republicans and six Democrats).  SELC, League of Conservation Voters, Virginia Conservation Network and many others worked with business leaders in the clean-energy sector on the development and passage of these bills focused on solar energy and energy efficiency.

These laws have the potential to create thousands of jobs in Virginia while increasing consumers’ emissions-free choices and bringing us closer to meeting Virginia’s carbon reduction goals under the Clean Power Plan.

Virginia’s clean-energy package includes legislation that declares up to 500 megawatts of utility-scale solar energy projects to be in the public interest. The new laws also include expansion of Virginia’s solar net metering program and the creation of a Virginia Solar Development Authority, both of which are aimed at reducing barriers to solar expansion in the commonwealth. 

Read more about the benefits of these clean energy jobs laws in a guest column by Cale Jaffe posted today in the Virginian-Pilot.