Get Energy Smart! NOW!

Between a Dominion Power Electric School Bus (ESB) project and Governor Northam ESB demonstration programs, Virginia is on the cusp of becoming the national leader of ESB adoption and, through a major acquisition program, could change the game nationally when it comes ESBs and, potentially, government investment in electrifying large vehicle fleets. There are, at […]

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In seeking to legislate paths to achieve a “clean economy”, one thing legislators do not lack are substantive and thoughtful roadmaps to look at and leverage. As per a post the other day, For decades, people have been working on and considering how to get Virginia on the path toward a clean energy future. And, […]

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For decades, people have been working on and considering how to get Virginia on the path toward a clean energy future. And, with plunging prices for clean energy paths (solar, wind, storage (batteries), efficiency (think LED lights), electric transportation, etc) with increasing climate impacts and understanding of climate risks along with increased business pressure for […]

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Last week, a broad environmental coalition and multiple Virginia state legislators coalesced for the announcement of the “Virginia Clean Economy Act” (VCEA). When one sees organizations like CCAN and its climate hawk founder/director Mike Tidwell pushing hard to build momentum for the VCEA, the presumption has to be that this is serious action that would […]

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The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) targets having 60 percent of Virginia’s electrons ‘clean’ (e.g., low-to-no carbon emissions on generation) by 2036 and 100 percent by 2050. While finally, if passed, legislating a clean power (more prosperous and resilient) future for the Commonwealth, this bill would still leave Virginia a middling player (not a leader) […]

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Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced his proposal for a significant bump in the Commonwealth’s education investment. The budget includes the single-largest increase for at-risk schools in Virginia history, raises teacher salaries 3 percent, funds more school counselors and new staff supports for English language learners, and makes significant new flexible funds available for local […]

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Last Friday, Dominion Virginia Energy announced a major electric school bus (EV Bus) program: to replace 100% of the diesel school buses (roughly 13,000), in its service area, by 2030 with EV Buses. This is a potentially game changing initiative that could rapidly drive down EV Bus prices and open the door for rapid moves […]

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While the pace is picking up, it is a simple truth that too few U.S. politicians speak to their constituents about climate change in meaningful ways. Thus, to start with, a mark of appreciation for politicians who do make the effort to speak to their constituents to educate them and seek to mobilize them to […]

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You don’t have to be that old to remember when fishing in Virginia meant searching for a body of water rod and reel in hand. This is changing as, with sea level rise, streets are increasingly flooded with ‘moon tides’ or in storm events where it didn’t occur (or less frequently) in the past. A […]

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Former Governor Terry McAuliffe exclaimed, more than once, that Virginia was a true leader in solar power, with growth rates that should amaze one and all.  While McAuliffe deserves credit for a number of actions, recognizing the reality of a GOP run legislature and heavy Dominion Power opposition to solar, reality didn’t seem to match […]

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