From the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN):
Today, both the Virginia Senate and House will be voting on the Virginia Clean Economy Act! But we need your help right now.
This bill, if passed, would shut down virtually all of Dominion’s coal-fired power plants — by law — by 2030. You read that right. It also would launch the largest offshore wind farms in America while turbo-charging the state’s solar industry. And it would provide half a BILLION dollars in home weatherization funds for low-income households.
This bill will send shockwaves throughout the nation. If we pass it, Virginia will have a mandated path to 100% clean electricity and become one of only a handful of states to codify a deadline for all fossil fuel generation to be shut down.
We are a simple majority away from increasing distributed solar capacity in Virginia six-fold and making it easier than ever for Virginians to put solar on their roofs with no money down.
Tell your legislator to vote YES on HB1526 and SB851! Climate action is on the line.
Getting the VCEA to this point has not been easy. You may have heard all sorts of rumors about the process that lead us to this momentous vote. As I have said since election day 2019, Dominion will continue to be a threat in the General Assembly, even with a climate-conscious majority. However, the tables have turned this year and the proof is in the pudding: this year, CCAN Action Fund has been fighting for you in rooms that were once only blocked off for industry special interests, and we came back with results.
The VCEA came under attack from the opening gavel of the 2020 General Assembly session, but even after constant pressure to capitulate, the floor of both the State Senate and the House of Delegates will be voting on bills that protect vulnerable communities and mark the end of the fossil fuel industry at the same time. That wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t in the room, fighting for you.
The VCEA is not perfect, and I can guarantee you that CCAN Action Fund will be back next year to demand even more action on climate, but this bill is a gamechanger on climate and will transform Virginia from a laughing stock to a leader overnight. CCAN Action Fund will never support something that doesn’t represent real climate progress, and we definitely don’t mind being a voice of opposition to ideas that don’t match the science: our reputation speaks for itself on that one. Click here to read our updated factsheet about the bill and see for yourself.
We’re all in on the VCEA because we know we’re on the right side of history. I hope you’ll join us in getting this over the finish line.
Sincerely,
Harrison Wallace
Virginia Director, CCAN Action Fund
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