Great stuff from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, other clean energy and environmental advocates, LG Ghazala Hashmi, Del. Rip Sullivan, etc. See below for a press release and video.
Lieutenant Governor Hashmi, Advocates Rally for Affordable Clean Energy at the Capitol
Advocates urge the General Assembly to cut utility costs, speed up clean energy deployment, and hold polluters accountable.
RICHMOND, VA – Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi joined a large crowd of advocates at the State Capitol today to call on the Virginia General Assembly to deliver on affordable clean energy in the face of rising costs tied to increased reliance on fossil fuels, obstruction of clean energy projects at the federal level, and unprecedented strain from Big Tech data centers.
Advocates stressed that a clean energy transition must put affordability and equity at its center. Lawmakers have the opportunity to advance a clean, affordable energy agenda that cuts Virginians’ electric bills, eliminates barriers to clean energy deployment, and holds big corporations and polluters accountable.
“Climate issues, environmental issues, the concerns about affordability for our energy needs, all of that is united; it’s impacting all of us,” said Lt. Governor Ghazala Hashmi. “And you know what happened in Virginia in November? We sent a clear signal that Virginians wanted change. They want us to get back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). They want us to fulfill our goals of meeting the needs for clean energy, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do as we work hard these next 4 years in this administration to fulfill the promise that we began decades ago.”
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A RECORDING OF THE EVENT
Lowering the cost of energy and holding energy-hungry data centers accountable for raising the price of electricity in Virginia were major themes in the lead-up to Election Day 2025. With a landslide victory in November that elected the largest pro-clean energy majority ever in the House of Delegates and swept all three statewide offices with clean energy champions, the legislature must now deliver.
“Virginia now has a governor and a legislature with the will, the power and the mandate to hold big corporations and utilities accountable, ensure that we are meeting our tremendous energy needs on the backs of cheaper, clean energy and leaving our fossil fuel legacy in the past, and tackling these challenges head-on while bringing down the cost of electricity for every Virginia family,” said Michael Town with the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
Tackling rising costs in the energy sector is an important step forward in advancing equity as price hikes impact lower income families and communities of color disproportionately.
“Affordable clean energy is not just about the climate,” said Rosie Saavedra, Virginia Member, CASA. “It’s about dignity, health, and whether a family can pay their electric bill without having to sacrifice food, rent, or medicine. For many working families in Virginia, electricity bills are already too high. And when the clean energy transition does not put affordability at the center, it is always the same communities, immigrants, low-income families, and communities of color who end up paying the price.”
Because of flawed federal policies, household electric bills are up 13%, and residential gas prices have increased by nearly 60% nationwide. Utility companies have raised or proposed $85.8 billion in rate hikes on American families and one in six households is now behind on their electric or gas bills.
“Let’s be honest and completely clear, Virginians are hurting,” said Monica Hutchinson, President of the Henrico NAACP. “The ‘One Big Ugly Bill,’ which cancelled billions of dollars of investment in clean energy projects, mandates oil and gas exploration, and repeals clean air programs helping drive our clean energy transition. Today, I urge our legislators to pass legislation in favor of clean and renewable energy! Bills that will save us and future generations from this continuous air, health, and extremely high costs of fossil fuel energy.”
The solution to this affordability crisis hinges on securing a transition to affordable, clean energy, and phasing out the fossil fuels to blame for raising costs on Virginia families.
“We know the more we rely on volatile fossil fuels, the more our electricity bills will increase as the cost of fuel rises and our out-of-date infrastructure continues to run,” said Jessica Sims, Virginia Field Coordinator, Appalachian Voices. “When we shift to cleaner, cheaper, renewable energy, we all will pay less in our monthly bills and can invest in more reliable sources of energy. With clean energy like solar and wind, we reduce pollution that harms Virginians, and we break the cycle of fossil fuel dependency.”
CLICK HERE TO WATCH A RECORDING OF THE EVENT
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Del. Rip Sullivan says the last four years with Youngkin, we’ve mostly been “stuck in neutral” on clean energy, but now we have a new administration, and now it’s time to “turbocharge what we’re doing on clean energy and get back on track here in Virginia”
