There were bright spots and not-so-bright spots in the 2024 Virginia General Assembly session.
Blog Archives
Engaged activists get bipartisan wins in 2024 General Assembly session
TAGS: clean energy cyanide disconnection protections regional greenhouse gas initiative shared solar Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia General Assembly
Crossover: Virginia General Assembly session reaches an important milestone
The Virginia General Assembly has reached the halfway mark — and amid the highs and lows of committee decisions, hundreds of Virginians have helped advocate for critical environmental protections. Thank you for your calls and emails to legislators!
TAGS: Affordable Energy Act Affordable Energy Coalition brightfields cyanide disconnection protections hydrogen metals mining pipelines shared solar Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia Conservation Network Virginia General Assembly
2024 Virginia General Assembly session is underway!
As the Virginia Assembly opened its 2024 legislative session on Jan. 10, Appalachian Voices held a webinar to lay out our priorities for the session and explain how those interested in these issues can get involved and make a difference.
TAGS: Affordable Energy Act Affordable Energy Coalition brightfields cyanide disconnection protections hydrogen metals mining pipelines shared solar Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia Conservation Network Virginia General Assembly
In a moment of climate crisis, Dominion wants to move Virginia backwards
These developments support the Virginia-wide shift towards clean, renewable energy and Dominion Energy had seemingly embraced this transition, expanding its own solar and wind facilities. But, alarmingly Dominion is now trying to reverse course in Chesterfield and construct a new harmful methane gas “peaker” plant, mere miles from the old plant.
TAGS: Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center Dominion Energy Dutch Gap Conservation Area Gas infrastructure james river Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia General Assembly
Wins and losses in the 2023 Virginia General Assembly session
Even with the short session, Appalachian Voices’ capitol team had a lot to keep track of, with a number of bills we were hoping to convince legislators to support — and quite a few we were hoping to convince them to vote down.
TAGS: Affordable Energy Act brightfields cyanide gold mining regional greenhouse gas initiative shared solar Small Modular Nuclear Reactors utility shutoffs Virginia General Assembly Virginia Power Innovation Fund
Bipartisan bill prohibiting the use of cyanide in mining heads to House of Delegates for consideration
HB 1722, a bill that would prohibit the use of cyanide in industrial mineral mining operations, was reported with overwhelming bipartisan support to the full House of Delegates by the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee.
Virginia legislators must take utility shutoff protections seriously this winter
Virginia is one of only seven states that doesn’t protect residents from getting their power or water shut off over unpaid bills during extreme weather. State legislators aim to change that in the 2023 General Assembly session.
TAGS: disconnection protections energy burden energy justice power bills utility disconnection utility shutoff Virginia General Assembly Water Justice
Even as 2022 Virginia General Assembly wraps up, threats of environmental rollbacks continue
With the signing of the budget, the Virginia General Assembly wrapped up a session filled with challenges and disappointments.
TAGS: air pollution control board Andrew Wheeler bipartisan infrastructure law clean energy and community flood preparedness act Coalfield Community Development Program Coalfield Inter-agency Task Force coalfields Department of Housing and Community Development Dominion Energy electric co-ops electric utility Environmental Justice gob Gov. Glenn Youngkin metals mining pipelines regional greenhouse gas initiative shared solar state corporation commission Virginia Clean Economy Act Virginia Energy Virginia General Assembly
Virginia state lawmakers call on U.S. Senate to pass climate reconciliation bill
Virginia legislators sent a letter to Sens. Kaine and Warner supporting a budget reconciliation package under negotiation that invests $555 billion in climate and clean energy.
TAGS: budget reconciliation Climate change Congress Senator Joe Manchin Senator Mark Warner Senator Tim Kaine Virginia General Assembly
Member-owners join together to support transparency and governance reforms for Virginia’s rural electric cooperatives
Richmond, Va. — A coalition representing member-owners of Virginia’s rural electric cooperative (RECs) is rallying in support of Del. Wendy Gooditis’ legislation that seeks to establish protections and safeguards for customers (member-owners) of the thirteen rural electric cooperatives in the state. These reforms would include allowing member-owners to observe board meetings, voter integrity measures for cooperative board elections, and transparency in cooperative political lobbying.
