Data Center Accountability

Big Tech companies are requesting large amounts of electricity in Virginia to operate data centers clustered in Northern Virginia. The richest companies in the world, which are currently eligible for large tax breaks from the state, should be required to acquire clean energy in line with state decarbonization mandates. Moreover, the scale of this energy demand, currently approved solely at the local level, has statewide impacts on energy bills, grid reliability, and air quality. Regulators need holistic oversight over the process of interconnecting massive new electricity users to ensure a coordinated, sustainable approach.

Utility-Scale Solar and Storage

Right now, over half of Virginia’s localities have severe restrictions on solar development that effectively prevent clean energy proposals. But renewables are cheaper, cleaner, and faster to connect to the grid than fossil fuels. Utility-scale solar continues to be the cheapest form of electricity we can bring onto the grid in Virginia, and energy from solar plus storage costs less than half of energy from proposed gas peakers like the Chesterfield Gas Plant. To control soaring energy costs, Virginia must ensure that we can build sufficient solar and storage resources to meet the states’ needs – that means ensuring that solar projects get a fair and timely review at the local level. Indeed, 91% of Virginians believe landowners should have the right to build solar projects on their land, and 85% oppose local governments limiting property rights by placing bans on solar development.

Extreme Weather Taxpayer Relief Act

Nearly a dozen states have started to take action to recover the economic and environmental costs of fossil fuel-driven climate change through “climate superfunds.” Legislation authorizes the state to recover financial damages from fossil fuel companies that have had a measurable negative impact on the state’s assets, a proposal supported by 71% of Virginians. Such bills have passed in Vermont and New York, and have been introduced in Maryland, California, and Massachusetts. Funds accrued can provide relief to residents and localities following extreme weather events and create more resilient clean energy infrastructure to future-proof our grid as climate disasters worsen.

Rooftop, Balcony Solar and Energy Efficiency

Small-scale clean energy resources like rooftop and residential battery storage can play a major role in our clean energy future with commonsense reforms to cut red tape. The state should increase state goals for the percentage of energy that comes from “distributed generation,” small-scale resources that don’t need to be connected to the transmission system. In addition, the state should pave the way for “balcony solar” – panels that can be plugged into a normal outlet and hung from a window or balcony to lower energy bills and demand on the grid. Finally, the state should prioritize lowering energy bills for those most in need through energy efficiency; last year’s heavily bipartisan legislation to develop a cross-government taskforce to coordinate existing programs, and suggest new ones, is a great first step.

Electric Vehicle Charging

Transportation is the greatest contributor to climate change in Virginia, constituting over 50% of emissions. But barriers remain for both travelers and those charging at home. To ensure that travelers can visit and continue to support local economies in all corners of our scenic Commonwealth, the state should fund electric vehicle charging stations in rural and underserved areas. In addition, as more and more people choose to drive electric every year, the state should ensure that localities are empowered to require EV-capability – essentially, electrical panel capacity and conduit – for new multifamily, commercial, and industrial construction.