The Good

Distributed Generation

All year, we’ve been working with advocates like you to expand the state’s commitment to distributed generation (“DG”) – small-scale clean energy resources like rooftop solar and battery storage that can help particularly our urban localities contribute to meeting our state climate goals while lowering energy bills for everyone. Taken together, these priorities are called the Community Access to Renewable Energy, or “CARE,” Package.

Two of our major “DG” priorities cleared both chambers with significant bipartisan support: the Community Energy Act, led by Senator Hashmi (SB1100) and Delegate Hernandez (HB2346), will create pilot programs for utilities to coordinate many different DG resources to help meet peaks in energy demand on very hot or very cold days. Community Energy Programs like these can replace the need for expensive and polluting gas peaker plants while bolstering grid resilience to prevent blackouts. While the bills passed their respective chambers, it’s not over until it’s over – they still “cross over” and get voted on again.

The DG Expansion Act, led by Delegate Callsen (HB1883) and Senator VanValkenburg (SB1040), significantly increases the “carve out” for small-scale solar in the Virginia Clean Economy Act, our flagship climate law that gets us to net zero. The bill also opens up financing programs to everyone, such that the up-front cost for rooftop solar systems can be zero dollars, and triples state goals for building solar on previously developed lands (parking lots, industrial zones, etc!).

Electric Vehicles

Analysts predict that U.S. electric vehicle sales will increase by 36% this year. That’s much-needed good news, but the reality is that many of our rural and low-income counties do not have adequate public charging infrastructure. The Rural Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Program and Fund (whew!) from Delegate Sullivan (HB1791) and Senator Aird (SB1225) will help fill the gaps in these “charging deserts” so that no one gets left behind in the transition to EVs. We had a hiccup in the Senate, but the bill passed the House with bipartisan support and has been allocated funding in both chambers’ draft budgets. That means, while we still have work to do, we have a good shot of passing this long-standing priority in the second half of session.

Clean Energy Jobs

The third part of the “CARE” package is ensuring that our clean energy economy provides good-paying jobs and training opportunities to grow the domestic clean energy workforce. The Clean Energy Apprenticeship Act from Senator Rouse (SB853) and Delegate Mundon-King (HB2356) ensures workers are paid the prevailing wage while bolstering apprenticeships in the field. Both passed their respective chambers and have crossed over to be considered again.

Another pro-labor bill, the Offshore Wind Energy Workforce Program (HB1616) from Delegate Feggans, will direct Virginia’s Department of Energy to develop training resources to boost our offshore wind industry workforce. HB1616 passed the House and will now be considered by the Senate.

Data Center Reform

Data centers are requesting staggering amounts of electricity, giving monopoly utilities an excuse to try to build new fossil fuel infrastructure – costs they will pass off to ratepayers. Senator Perry’s SB960 will task regulators with investigating whether everyday Virginians are subsidizing this unnecessary infrastructure and correct for it. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate and will now be voted on in the House.

Bills to incentivize data centers to operate efficiently and utilize clean energy were also considered – SB1196 from Senator Deeds and HB2578 from Delegate Sullivan – but did not pass their chambers. However, Senator Deeds’ language was added to the “budget bill,” which means the policy can still be considered as a deal on the state budget is negotiated.

The Bad

Solar Siting Reform

Utility-scale solar is the cheapest viable electricity source we have, and it’s a key part of a just transition to zero carbon. Every solar farm we are able to get online helps alleviate the pressure to approve fossil fuel infrastructure. CCAN Action Fund members like you have been advocating all year to stop solar bans and make sure proposals get a fair, objective review from environmental experts.

Unfortunately, bills to address this issue – SB1190 from Senator Deeds and HB2126 from Delegate Sullivan – were defeated in both chambers. While we’re sorely disappointed, expect CCAN Action Fund to keep fighting hard on this issue in the coming year.

Extreme Weather Relief Act 

Another bill that did not survive crossover is the Extreme Weather Relief Act from Delegate Cousins (HB2233) and Senator Boysko (SB1123). The bill would have made Big Oil companies take responsibility for climate damages they have caused to the state, and used those funds for disaster relief. Although our patrons put up a good fight, over fifteen corporate oil and gas lobbyists lined up to kill the bill. But just like Big Tobacco’s long and ultimately unsuccessful effort to refuse accountability for public health damages, we know we will win this one in the long run with your support.

The Ugly

I want to close out this half-time report with an urgent call to action. The state is considering spending millions in taxpayer money in handouts to private polluters and Big Tech. At a time when education and healthcare are severely underfunded and in a critical window to prevent runaway climate catastrophe, this is unacceptable.

Chesapeake Utilities wants $7.4 million dollars of your money to build a natural gas pipeline through the Bay region of the Eastern Shore to supply Purdue and Tyson chicken processing facilities.

We shouldn’t be building new fossil fuel pipelines at this critical juncture in our climate journey, period. But we definitely can’t allow the state to give away ten million dollars of taxpayer money to fossil fuel companies to further pollute our environment.

To make matters worse, House lawmakers are considering extending the existing tax giveaway to data center companies through 2050 with no strings attached. The richest companies in the world don’t need a cent of taxpayer money to build their energy-guzzling warehouses. Not only should the state not extend the tax credit another 15 years, they should support efforts to condition the existing tax credit on energy efficiency and clean energy standards – which is, as I covered above, what the Senate budget proposed.

If you’re still with me, make sure you take action at this link to oppose these corporate handouts and support strong environmental standards for data centers.