Today, as part of his budget priorities, Gov. Younkin proposed diverting $102 million from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) into a Disaster Relief Fund for Hurricane Helene. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene and we understand the necessity of this support. However, removing funds earmarked to support underserved Virginia families is not the right solution, especially with a $2.2 billion budget surplus.
The Housing Innovations in Energy Efficiency (HIEE) funds administered by the Department of Housing and Community Development are instrumental in providing healthy, safe, and energy-efficient homes. Furthermore, these homes are more resilient to hurricanes and other natural disasters. HIEE supports affordable housing built to Zero Energy Ready standards, as well as provides repairs to homes that would otherwise be deferred from the federal Weatherization Assistance Program. These measures reduce moisture and protect from high winds, making them safer for the most vulnerable of our communities.
By pulling funds away from HIEE, the Governor is trading one disaster for another. We encourage the administration to use the budget surplus – not RGGI – to support Virginians dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC) applauds the Circuit Court ruling in favor of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP), stating that the Governor’s regulatory action to remove Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) was unlawful. In 2020, Virginia became the first southern state to join RGGI and was the only RGGI state that dedicated fifty percent of its proceeds from those auctions towards making low-income, affordable housing more energy-efficient. These programs have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Virginia, enabling weatherization providers and affordable housing developers to provide safe, affordable, and energy-efficient homes to low-income families like never before. Moreover, RGGI funds cannot be replaced or matched – the 2020-2022 auction proceeds exceeded every other source of energy efficiency funding in Virginia combined. As participation in RGGI was codified by the General Assembly, this ruling validates that only the legislature can withdraw the Commonwealth. The VAEEC looks forward to having these critical funds return to help serve Virginians across the state.
RICHMOND, NOVEMBER 12, 2024 – On Tuesday, Google and the Virginia Department of Energy hosted a meeting with policymakers, electric utilities, and business leaders to discuss how innovative solutions can help meet Virginia’s growing energy needs.
The Virginia Grid Innovation Summit honed in on three key themes as part of the vision for the future:
- emerging technologies that allow Virginia to get more value from its existing energy infrastructure,
- the need for a diverse portfolio of solutions to meet modern energy demand, and
- innovative regulatory proposals to ensure energy costs remain affordable while enabling continued economic growth in Virginia.
To support US economic leadership, driven by growth in manufacturing, electrification, and the digital economy, the Summit addressed the need for energy infrastructure investment. These sectors offer economic benefits but require new energy solutions to meet increased power demand.
“Virginia is once again leading when it comes to leveraging technology to meet our growing energy and power needs,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “This country has never shied away from a challenge, and Virginia is ready to meet the moment in supporting America’s next era of economic prosperity. The Grid Innovation Summit is bringing together government leaders and global companies to support American infrastructure, which should serve as a model for the rest of the nation.”
At the summit, Dominion Energy Virginia highlighted its innovative grid-enhancing technologies, including new pilot projects deploying dynamic line ratings. These initiatives showcase the company’s commitment to maximizing the potential of existing transmission and distribution systems. By harnessing these innovations, Dominion aims to improve grid reliability and operational flexibility, ultimately leading to significant cost savings for consumers.
“Along with significant transmission expansion and investments in new power generation, grid enhancing technologies can play an important role in our ‘all of the above’ strategy to reliably serve the growing needs of our customers,” said Ed Baine, President of Dominion Energy Virginia. “We’ve been a leading pioneer on grid enhancing technologies for many years, including advanced conductors, and we continue deploying the latest innovations to enhance reliability and bring more clean energy on the grid. This is an exciting time as we modernize every part of the grid, and Virginia is leading the way.”
“Google and the Virginia Department of Energy are working together to ensure that the private sector can collaborate with all levels of government to efficiently deploy reliable and affordable energy infrastructure,” said Director Glenn Davis of the Virginia Department of Energy. “Growth in power demand presents a tremendous opportunity to evolve a stronger, more reliable energy system – these investments will both support Virginia’s economy and strengthen our country’s national security. No one entity can tackle this challenge on their own, so bringing everyone to the table is a critical step towards developing the right portfolio of solutions.”
Support for energy efficiency workforce development
To help grow the needed workforce to support energy efficiency in Virginia, Google announced today a $250,000 contribution for the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council to expand its Energy Efficiency Workforce Initiative (EEWI). This contribution will help the EEWI in its effort to recruit, train, place and retain workers in the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency industry.
“Google’s support for energy efficiency job training comes at a critical time as we ramp up to meet the growing demand for these jobs,” said Chelsea Harnish, Executive Director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council. “Allowing the Council to expand our programs statewide will make a tremendous difference in helping the Commonwealth train and certify the needed energy efficiency workforce of the future.”
The EEWI uses a holistic approach by aligning existing programs while establishing new partnerships to find, develop and advance the necessary workforce. Through widespread recruitment, hands-on training programs and retention efforts, the EEWI brings in new workers to Virginia’s growing energy economy and helps them thrive throughout their careers.
Building on Google’s decarbonization journey
Growth will require enhanced utilization of the existing transmission system, expansion of new transmission infrastructure, and development in a rapidly expanding toolbox of next generation energy technologies to power Virginia’s economic future.
Google continues to lead progress in the energy transition. The company recently announced the world’s first corporate agreement to purchase nuclear power from small modular reactors with Kairos Power, following a first-of-a-kind agreement earlier this year with NV Energy and Fervo to bring enhanced geothermal technology online. At the same time, Google is piloting new ways to efficiently operate its data centers, including its demand response technology which reduces the amount of power needed during peak periods.
“Google has exemplified how energy innovation can be used as a critical tool to unlock economic growth,” said Gary Demasi, Global Director of Data Center Energy and Location Strategy at Google. “With support from the Virginia Department of Energy, these industry leaders have come together to collaborate on a broad set of cutting edge solutions which will further cement Virginia’s legacy as a global technology hub and continue to power Virginia forward.”
Learn more about Google in Virginia at g.co/economicimpact/va.
Media Contact: Ryan McKinnon; ryan@capresults.net
The new Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) state-wide program is now
active and open to localities wishing to participate. The Virginia PACE Authority (VPA) is administering the program for the Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy). C-PACE will help grow Virginia’s energy efficiency, renewable energy and resiliency improvements in commercial properties.
“With C-PACE, property owners can finance up to 100% of clean energy projects with fixed rate terms of up to 30+ years. The new statewide program was announced last year and after feedback, the new documentation will create a standardized program across the Commonwealth for jurisdictions to participate, “said VPA President Abby Johnson. “We are excited to bring this program across Virginia, especially with a new focus that allows for financing of resiliency, stormwater and electric vehicle infrastructure.”
Read more.
As Congress passes historic climate legislation for the first time in decades, Virginia has already been combating climate change via the commonwealth’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based carbon-reduction program.
RGGI auctions provide vital funds for flood resiliency and low-income energy efficiency programs, improving the health and safety of residents across the state. However, Virginia’s progress could evaporate if Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s desire to remove Virginia from RGGI becomes reality.
Read more at Virginia Mercury
For Immediate Release: March 16, 2022
Contact: Executive Director Chelsea Harnish, chelsea@vaeec.org, 804-457-8619
Statement on Youngkin Administration’s Report on the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
RICHMOND- Governor Youngkin has once again set the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) in his crosshairs, aiming for a program that does an unparalleled amount of good for Virginia businesses and our most vulnerable citizens. The recently released report from the Department of Environmental Quality perpetuates the harmful myths surrounding the carbon capture program.
“The report willfully ignores the massive benefits that come from our participation in RGGI,” Chelsea Harnish, Executive Director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council said. “Virginia is the only RGGI state that allocates 50% of our funding to low-income energy efficiency projects.”
RGGI funds two specific programs to improve affordable housing stock – the Weatherization Deferral Repair (WDR) program and the Affordable and Special Needs Housing (ASNH) program. The WDR program allows weatherization providers to address significant home repairs, such as roofs, mold mitigation, and damaged combustion appliances, to ready the home for energy efficiency services via the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). These massive repairs made these homes ineligible for the federal weatherization program leaving each provider with lists of “deferred properties.”
In addition to the WDR program, the ASNH funding ensures that new affordable housing developments are built more energy-efficient than they would have otherwise been. Increasing energy efficiency improves the health, safety, and livelihood of the residents, as well as lowering energy bills by up to 20%.
RGGI energy efficiency funding has provided unprecedented economic benefits as well. Several weatherization providers have been and will continue to hire new staff to meet the new demands.
The funds received from the RGGI auctions allow weatherization assistance providers and affordable housing developers to meet the needs of underserved communities. It is imperative that this vital funding remains available to help those in the greatest need.
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The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council is the voice for the energy efficiency industry in the Commonwealth. Our diverse group of over 100 members includes Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, local governments, state agencies, and more. The VAEEC’s goal is to ensure that energy efficiency is recognized as an integral part of Virginia’s economy and clean energy future.
Learn more about the energy efficiency benefits of RGGI, including case studies on our website https://vaeec.org/rggi/.
Visit our Press Room for our press kit.
This summer I saw parents, children and friends running around playgrounds, taking trips, spreading blankets in parks and breathing in the fresh air of a summer night. The hopeful moods were unlike anything I’d seen in more than a year.
It was a milestone, too. Statewide restrictions had been eased on the pandemic; its effects were felt in every home and business across Virginia.
I’ve enjoyed seeing a bit of normalcy return as I watched my daughter swim, bike and play outside with friends after spending her year of kindergarten learning at home. Like other parents, I’ve also been thinking about her back-to-school days ahead while grappling with concerns expressed by public health officials about the new delta variant.
Read more (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
For Immediate Release: Dec. 16, 2020
Virginia Hits Energy-Efficiency Milestone
Ranks No. 1 in South, Breaks into Top 25 in New Ranking
RICHMOND — The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council heralds a new research report, released today, that names Virginia as the regional leader of the South for its energy efficiency practices.
Virginia had its best year on the annual State Energy Efficiency Scorecard, a nationwide analysis of states based on “their policy and program efforts to save energy and pursue efficiency as a cost-effective, critical tool for slashing emissions and meeting state clean energy goals.”
“We’re thrilled to see Virginia named as a state to watch and break into the Top 25,” said Chelsea Harnish, executive director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC). “This is a reflection of the hard work that went into passing the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the efforts of the energy efficiency industry in the Commonwealth.”
The annual scorecard is published by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, and can be found at aceee.org. Among the report’s findings:
“Virginia was among the top energy stories of 2020, creating its first-ever clean energy standard and becoming the first state in the Southeast with a 100% clean electricity goal. The Virginia Clean Economy Act also established an energy efficiency resource standard that sets multiyear electric savings targets for utilities and includes important measures to support low-income customers and reduce energy burdens. The governor also signed HB 981, making Virginia the first southern state to join RGGI, with proceeds going toward energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate mitigation measures.”
About the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council is the voice for the energy efficiency industry in the Commonwealth. Founded in 2012, our broad coalition of more than 100 members includes Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, startups, local governments and state agencies. Our goal is to ensure that energy efficiency is an integral part of Virginia’s economy and clean energy future. For more information, please visit vaeec.org.
RICHMOND — The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council, a broad coalition and voice for the Commonwealth’s energy efficiency industry, enthusiastically endorses Gov. Ralph Northam’s appointment to the State Corporation Commission, Angela Navarro.
“The governor’s announcement today is welcome news for the energy efficiency industry in Virginia,” said Chelsea Harnish, executive director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC).
Navarro helped create the Virginia Clean Economy Act, passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. “As one of the authors of this transformative legislation, having Ms. Navarro overseeing its successful implementation will be crucial in the coming years,” Harnish noted.
“The VAEEC typically doesn’t weigh in on Commissioner appointments,” Harnish said, “but given Ms. Navarro’s extensive history in promoting effective energy efficiency policy in the Commonwealth, we anticipate her bringing that same frame of mind to this new role.”
Northam made his announcement during a 2 p.m. press conference today. Angela Navarro is a former Virginia deputy secretary of commerce and trade. She would fill a seat left vacant by SCC Chairman Mark Christie, who was confirmed by the Senate earlier this week to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
About the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council is the voice for the energy efficiency industry in the Commonwealth. Founded in 2012, our broad coalition of more than 100 members includes Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, startups, local governments and state agencies. Our goal is to ensure that energy efficiency is an integral part of Virginia’s economy and clean energy future. For more information, please visit vaeec.org.
Virginia Energy Efficiency Council Joins Bill Signing Ceremony for Virginia Clean Economy Act
For Immediate Release: Aug. 17, 2020
RICHMOND — The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council stands with Gov. Ralph Northam today as he signs the Virginia Clean Economy Act into law.
“The passage of this legislation is a massive step for the advancement of energy efficiency in the Commonwealth,” said Chelsea Harnish, executive director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council (VAEEC). “Today’s bill signing represents the culmination of collaborative work to advance Virginia’s clean energy future, which will have a significant positive effect on job creation in our sector.”
The Virginia Clean Economy Act is transformative legislation passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. It will boost the economy, transform the energy efficiency industry, reduce electric bills for families and position the Commonwealth for a clean energy future.
The legislation also paves the way for Virginia to reach a goal of zero carbon emissions by 2045. It represents an unprecedented shift in energy policy and ensures investment in energy-efficient programs, policies, jobs and technology.
The Virginia Energy Efficiency Council — a broad coalition of business, government and nonprofit voices across the state — spent hundreds of hours working alongside lawmakers, environmental advocates and business groups to advocate for the passage of this legislation.
