By Corrina Beall & Susan Stillman
Let’s start with the good news first. This GA session some creative and exciting initiatives will be introduced by friends and allies. The bad news? The political landscape remains roughly the same as it was before Election Day—Republicans control the Senate and the House of Delegates.
First, let’s see what we’re fighting for in 2016:
This year, Virginia should encourage private investment in renewable energy facilities by eliminating the barriers that hold them back. The Jobs & Energy Security for the Commonwealth Act seeks to do just that, by addressing a host of policy barriers that prevent solar from flourishing. This bill will address limits on the size of individual installations, restrictions on third-party sales of electricity, fees (e.g. standby charges), contracts that constrain renewable energy options for entities (including municipalities, )and the lack of community net metering programs.
Environmental groups are working together to re-introduce the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. This bill would mandate Virginia join RGGI, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. RGGI is a cooperative effort including nine East Coast states from Maine to Maryland that caps carbon emissions from power plants, requiring utilities to purchase carbon allowances for the pollution they emit. The Virginia Coastal Protection Act would dedicate 50% of Virginia’s annual proceeds from RGGI to coastal adaptation and climate resilience efforts. Thirty percent of the money will be used to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency programs statewide.
And what we’ll be fighting against:
ALEC
ALEC is pushing to weaken or repeal state renewable energy and efficiency standards, to reduce financial incentives that encourage rooftop solar, and to undermine EPA's efforts to limit carbon pollution from power plants. The Sierra Club is anticipating all of these attacks in Virginia.
Get Involved
If you would like to take action this legislative session, contact Corrina Beall to join the Citizen Lobbyist Program, or visit us online at http://bit.ly/1Yug0rt
During the Session, the Sierra Club will be sending out action alerts when legislators need to be contacted to support or oppose a given bill. Prepare to contact your legislators this Session by e-mail, phone and snail mail.