Energy order ready to spark lively debate

Debate in this session of the General Assembly about clean and renewable energy legislation is expected to be lively following an executive order pledging to switch Virginia to 100 percent renewable energy.

The executive order issued by Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam in 2019, includes short-term goals that will make incremental change, such as aiming to make 30 percent of Virginia’s electricity intake come from renewable energy sources by 2022. By the year 2050, Virginia would derive 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

Del. Hyland F. “Buddy” Fowler, R-Hanover, said he had concerns about Northam’s plan, particularly about whether any potential costs to Virginia residents were worth it.

“We’re already leaning towards renewable [energy] now, you know?” Fowler said. “So I’m saying I’m not gonna support the governor on that. I guess there’s some other things that perhaps we’ll agree on, but all it’s gonna do is make electricity more expensive and I don’t see how we’re going to benefit from it.”

Virginia’s electric companies have been shifting toward the use of renewable energy on their own, Fowler said, so he is a proponent of letting these changes develop without legislative interference.
Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, said she is supporting several pieces of legislation to increase renewable energy use in Virginia this session and does not believe that higher energy costs would result from this.

“The cost of doing nothing is greater,” McClellan said. “If we don’t do anything, we are going to continue to see the effects of climate change, and close to, if not everyone is at their tipping point.”

McClellan said that the costs of repairing Virginia from the effects of climate change-induced natural disasters and the loss of jobs from industries affected by climate change would be much higher than any costs incurred by increasing the use of renewable energy.

McClellan helped to develop and present the Virginia Clean Economy Act in December of 2019, a bill that would implement legislation that contributes to Northam’s renewable energy goals. She is also chief patron of Senate Bill 71, which is designed to increase opportunities for private citizens and local governments to generate renewable energy. This bill aims to raise the caps on how much renewable energy can be created and used by government, residential and nonresidential buildings.

“It’s not a simple topic,” McClellan said about presenting the legislation to the newly Democratic majority in the House and Senate. “So making sure everybody understands what the bills do and what they don’t do is a challenge no matter what, but at least it’s a majority that’s much more willing to do something and listen, rather than just say no outright.”