Governor pledges to catch up to neighboring states in renewable energy and efficiency investments

RICHMOND—Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response to Governor Terry McAuliffe’s remarks this morning in releasing the Virginia Energy Plan:

“Governor McAuliffe’s emphasis today on investing in energy efficiency and expanding solar power in Virginia are encouraging. Virginia’s vast and untapped renewable energy potential is well documented. We can catch up to our neighbors in clean energy, but only if we finally put the policies in place to harness it. We look forward to working with lawmakers in January to ensure real progress is made.

“However, the plan’s support for expanding fracked gas pipelines is worrisome and in fact contradictory to the governor’s consistent call to address climate change. Rather than supporting Dominion Virginia Power’s titanic gas pipeline, Governor McAuliffe should instead call on Dominion to quickly build safe and reliable offshore wind power in the 112,000 acres the company exclusively leased in September of last year.

“Today Governor McAuliffe spoke passionately about the need to address climate change by catching up to neighboring states in renewable energy and efficiency investments. We hope that in the coming months Governor McAuliffe will show the leadership we need and work toward rapid expansion of renewable energy, rather than compound the impacts of climate change with more fossil fuels like natural gas.”

CONTACT:
Dawone Robinson, 804-767-8983, dawone@chesapeakeclimate.org
Kelly Trout, 240-396-2022, kelly@chesapeakeclimate.org

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