For Immediate Release:
Thursday, March 5, 2020
Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – With just two days left in the 2020 General Assembly, the House of Delegates just voted to advance Senate Bill 851, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, the strongest piece of legislation Virginia’s ever seen to address the climate crisis and advance renewable energy in the Commonwealth. The Senate will now have to act, in order to secure final passage of the VCEA and set Virginia on the pathway to a carbon-free future.
In response to today’s vote, Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“The General Assembly is running out of time to address the largest environmental crisis of our time. If the Senate fails to pass serious solutions to climate change, it could be years until we get another opportunity. By then, it will be too late. We urge the Senate to pass the Virginia Clean Economy Act for the good of our health, our future, and our climate.”
Background:
The Virginia Clean Economy Act is the most aggressive legislation we’ve seen yet to address climate change and accelerate our transition to renewable energy in Virginia. It will eliminate electricity sector carbon emissions by 2045, implement the state’s first-ever mandatory renewable portfolio standard, require investments in energy efficiency instead of costly infrastructure, and make it easier to install rooftop solar in Virginia.
The VCEA also prioritizes empowering disadvantaged communities when making electric generating decisions, protects low-income ratepayers and, for the first time ever, actually addresses the social cost of carbon, meaning the the General Assembly has considered the economic. external, and public health impacts that carbon has on local communities.
About us:
The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.