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Video: Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04) Declares, Bluntly “Yeah this is a coup. And it is not a coup by Donald Trump, it is a coup by Russ Vought and Elon Musk.”

By
lowkell
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16

This is both fascinating and disturbing coming from Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA04), given that she is most definitely NOT an alarmist; that she’s very level-headed, smart and politically astute; that she’s considered by many Virginia politicos to be the likely successor to Tim Kaine in the US Senator when he retires; etc. So for her to say, without equivocation, the following, is really jarring:

“I mean look, so here whenever anybody asks me, ‘how are you doing?’, I try to answer ‘excellent’, because in the grand scheme of things, all of my family members are alive, I’m alive, God woke me up this morning, it could be a lot worse. And when I remember that I almost died in childbirth, both my daughter and I, that puts everything in perspective. So my number one piece of advice for everybody today is find you’re excellence and don’t let anybody take it away from you. Couple other mantras for the year before I kind of jump into the the update, because it’s going to be rapid fire yeah: try to control, try to focus on what you can control and let go of the rest; you cannot control everything, you can’t impact everything, and if you try you’re going to kill yourself or drive yourself crazy…that is easier said than done, I know, but if you constantly every morning remind yourself, focus on what you can control and let somebody else handle the rest, it’ll help; and this is an all-hands-on-deck moment.

And those are kind of the mantras that I have told my team and…how we are approaching every day. Because this is a coup, yeah this is a coup. And it is not a coup by Donald Trump, it is a coup by Russ Vought and Elon Musk. I’m not even sure Donald Trump knows half of the things that he’s on…”

There’s a lot more after this, including:

  • “Only the Speaker of the House has  standing to sue on behalf of Congress, and so for many of these actions that overstep presidential authority and infringe on con Congressional authority, we are not in a position to challenge that in the courts, we have to work with allies.”
  • “Every member of Congress is sort of picking those three or four areas where they’re going to laser focus on and… that’s the only way we can handle this sort of all hands-on-deck approach“
  • “Where we can file legislation in response, we’re doing it. But remember, we’re the minority party…we need three Republicans in the House to join us, to do anything. And the Senate needs Republicans to join them, to do anything. So while we know my office has gotten hundreds of calls a day – and that’s great, keep them coming – but those of you that live in Republican districts or those of you who friends that live in Republican districts they need to feel the pressure…the only way they will grow a spine is if they understand there’s electoral pressure, that if they don’t there are going to be consequences.”
  • “Be strategic about what you share. So perfect example – I was flooded with people…saying have you noticed that all the federal government websites have a flag that has nine stars on the top, is that the Confederate flag? Well, number one, no it’s not the Confederate flag. Number two, there are reasons behind that. And number three, should our priority right now be on…what the flag looks like on websites, or should our  focus be on the trauma that’s being inflicted on the federal workforce? So please pick your battles in a way that are going to really have an impact, but check the facts before you share something.”
  • “Every time in this country that marginalized communities, especially black people, gain social political and economic power, there is a backlash. That backlash involves three things: voter suppression, violence and propaganda. We are in the backlash now. We are in the backlash of all backlashes. But don’t get dispirited, because we we are fighting that backlash from a position of more power than our ancestors ever dreamed. And so when you get tired – because you will, when you get angry, when you are on the verge of I don’t know what to do, remember that power and remember what John Lewis said, ‘democracy is a state that requires every generation to do its part to build the beloved community’. And we cannot give up…we can’t become complacent, because the backlash always comes. But together we are in this fight against the backlash, and I’m so proud to be in this fight with each and every one of you watching this right now.”

Brilliant. Definitely watch the entire interview – great information, motivation and advice from Rep. Jennifer McClellan in these extremely dark times!

P.S. Also check out this brilliant, spot-on – and disturbing! – piece by Thomas Zimmer. According to Zimmer, “We are witnessing an unprecedented autocratic power grab. If the different MAGA factions can just dissolve whatever parts of the government they don’t like and functionally suspend the constitution, then democratic self-government is over.” and “What we are faced with is a rightwing “counter-revolution” unleashed – and in this moment, no one on the Right cares all that much what form it takes, or what script it follows, or who is in charge: Just be maximally radical and ruthless, destroy the enemy.” UGH.

Sunday News: “While Trump blathers about tariffs and Gaza, Musk is executing a coup d’état” (Will They Defy Court Orders?); Musk, Trump “seem to only defend racist speech”; “Catastrophic” Science Funding Cuts; “Defending Democracy in 2025 Is All That Matters”

By
lowkell
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5

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines. Time for Democrats, as well as anyone who’s a small-d democrat, to really crank it up at this point.

Virginia General Assembly Week Four 2025: “Crossed Over” and “Left Behind in the Dust”

By
lowkell
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0

From VAPLAN; great work by Cindy as always!

After some very long floor sessions in both the House and the Senate, crossover was reached–for the rest of session, each chamber will only consider bills that originated in the other chamber. Racing toward the end of this short session!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK,  Delegate Callsen on the House floor for Black History Month: “Study after study shows that race matters in the criminal justice system…political rhetoric steeped in fear and not fact has been used to justify what is by definition an unjust system…Mr. Speaker, my hope with this speech is to remind everyone in this chamber that the history of our justice system is both Black history, and also current events. And any of us in this room who are in a seat of power should be analyzing policies not with a campaign lens, not only with a personal lens, but with a lens of what is just, fair, and aligned with truth and fact.”

Left behind in the dust:

  • The House occasionally dockets bills to subcommittees that never then see the light of day. Here are a few bills that were left unvoted on in the House:
    • HB1865, the Access to Justice Act, which would have ensured a public defender’s office in every jurisdiction as well as an appellate defender office, made it out of Courts of Justice, only to die a quiet death in Appropriations without a vote. (It was expected to cost nearly $90 million.)
    • HB2607, prohibiting campaign contributions from public utilities, was left without a vote in House Privileges and Elections committee.
    • The House Education committee has endured listening to this bill to require students to pass the US Naturalization Test to graduate several years in a row. This year, they didn’t even docket it.
    • House Finance left behind without a vote a bill to impose a $5 tax on firearms purchases.
    • House Courts of Justice did not docket for discussion a bill to “clarify” that terminating a nonviable pregnancy isn’t a crime. Which, of course, wouldn’t be needed if we didn’t ever criminalize people and their doctors for private healthcare choices.
  • The Senate typically dockets all the bills that are filed. However, it’s not unusual (in either chamber) for bills to get suddenly re-referred back to committee from the floor when there are no more committee meetings, effectively killing the bill.
    • On the day of crossover, two campaign finance bills were re-committed back to committee: SB1050 prohibiting campaign contributions from corporations, and SB1469 restricting the dollar amount of all campaign contributions.
    • Additionally, the Senate recommitted SB1190 that created a consortium to assist localities in setting and achieving clean energy goals, and barred restrictive ordinances that limit solar.

Some interesting resolutions that crossed over:

  • HJ440 and SJ251, to have the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) study what books are being banned in what schools, why, and at whose request.
  • SJ255 to have JLARC study Virginia’s campaign finance laws (mostly with an eye to whether they are clear and transparent and enforceable).
  • HJ446 to designate the first full week of September as Zero Waste Awareness week.
  • HJ447 to have the Commission to End Hunger create a statewide food desert mapping system for Virginia.
  • SJ269 to designate March as Persian Heritage Month.
  • SJ253 and HJ443 to have JLARC study the potential impact of moving Virginia’s elections onto an even-year only schedule.

Photos, Audio: Freeda, a 20-Foot Inflatable IUD, Returns to Richmond as Lawmakers and Advocates Call for the Passage of the Virginia Right to Contraception Act

By
Blue Virginia
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3

From Americans for Contraception:

Freeda, a 20-Foot Inflatable IUD, Returns to Richmond as Lawmakers and Advocates Call for the Passage of the Virginia Right to Contraception Act

Nophar Yarden, a fourth-year medical student, speaks in support of the Virginia Right to Contraception Act as legislators and advocates look on.

High-resolution photos from the event are HERE.

High-quality audio from the event is HERE.
RICHMOND, Va. — Freeda, a 20-foot inflatable IUD who has traveled the country to raise awareness about threats to the right to contraception, made a return visit to Richmond’s Capitol Square on Feb. 7 as lawmakers and advocates renewed their call for the passage of the Virginia Right to Contraception Act.

SB 1105, patroned by Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond), and HB 1716, patroned by Delegate Cia Price (D-Newport News), would codify Virginians’ right to use and doctors’ right to prescribe FDA-approved forms of contraception, including condoms, IUDs, the pill, and emergency contraceptives. The legislation is a response to heightened threats to the right to contraception since the fall of Roe v. Wade and Donald Trump’s return to power.

In his concurrence in the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe. v. Wade, Justice Clarence Thomas said the U.S. Supreme Court “should reconsider” the right to contraception next. On the campaign trail last year, Donald Trump said he was “looking at” restrictions on contraception. The Associated Press reported last week that some information about contraception was stripped from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. Project 2025 also takes aim at emergency contraception.

Thanks to Democratic majorities, both bills have crossed over to opposite chambers. However, nearly every Republican in the Virginia General Assembly voted against the Right to Contraception Act. Lt. Governor Winsome Sears also voted against the Right to Contraception Act. 

“This is a danger that we are facing in the Virginia Senate,” said Senator Hashmi. “When the Right to Contraception Act came up in front of the full chamber, not a single Republican colleague voted in support of that bill. Even more critical for us to understand is that our lieutenant governor voted against the right to contraception. When it was presented to her on the floor of the chamber as a tie vote, she voted to restrict access to contraception. She said Virginia women do not have a right to contraception.”

“Last year, we stood right here with the same ask that the governor would stand with Virginians and sign the Right to Contraception Act. Instead, he ended up vetoing the bill,” said Delegate Price. “So we are back, because we have to keep working until Virginians’ right to access contraception is protected. So what has changed since last year? I’ll tell you. MAGA Republicans have taken charge and have wasted no time rolling back our rights, rolling back access to scientific information and stripping life-saving information from the CDC website about contraception.”

“Access to contraception is about more than just personal choice. It is about public health and social equity,” said Rae Pickett, communications director at Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia. “Contraception helps people plan their families, pursue education, and maintain their well-being. Without it, unintended pregnancies can have significant economic and social consequences, especially for people of color, people with low incomes, and those who live in rural areas.”

“At Birth in Color, we are often reminded of how essential contraception access is,” said Kenda Sutton-EL, executive director of Birth in Color. “We work with individuals each year who rely on contraception, not only for family planning, but for managing serious health conditions. For those with polycystic ovary syndrome or endometriosis, contraception isn’t just a choice, it’s a crucial medical treatment that impacts their daily lives. Do they really know what it’s like to be survivors of PCOS, endometriosis? Do they know the pain that people go through without contraception? Do they really understand how you still have to get up and go to work daily while managing these symptoms?”

“I’ve seen firsthand the consequences of limited access to contraception,” said Nophar Yarden, a Virginia resident and fourth-year medical student. “At a Title X clinic, I worked closely with a young mother who had recently given birth and had found herself unexpectedly pregnant again. Through tears, she shared her fears, how would she afford her diapers, food, child care, and housing for her growing family. Unfortunately her story is not unique. Nearly half of all pregnancies in Virginia are unintended. The ability to decide if and when to grow a family is essential to the health and stability of individuals and communities.”

“I have two sons who are now 19 and 23 years old. But I am very aware of the fact that had I not had access to contraception after they were born, I might not have been around to raise them,” said Sarah Goodman of Roanoke, who serves as Red, Wine & Blue’s southwest regional organizer. “My pregnancies were both very difficult, both ended in emergency Caesarean sections. And after my last pregnancy, my doctor came up to me — it was a very traumatic experience for everyone in that operating room — and she said ‘Sarah, 100 years ago you would have been one of those women who died in childbirth, and I cannot recommend that you ever undertake another pregnancy. It’s just too risky for you.’ And that was so sobering to me. Here I am holding my newborn son and my toddler is looking on, and I’m thinking ‘wow, it is absolutely pivotal that I have access to birth control so that I can be here and show up for my own children.’”

Contraception champions Senator Jennifer Boysko (D-Fairfax), Senator Kannan Srinivasan (D-Loudoun) and Delegate Holly Seibold (D-Fairfax) stood in support at the press conference.

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Americans for Contraception is a leading advocacy organization committed to protecting and expanding the fundamental right to contraception nationwide.

Saturday News: “‘In a real sense, US democracy has died’: how Trump is emulating Hungary’s Orbán”; “19 states sue Trump, Treasury to halt DOGE access”; “Is Donald Trump Afraid of Elon Musk?”; “Trump revokes Biden’s security clearance,” Names Himself Kennedy Center Chair

By
lowkell
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19

by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, February 8. Continued crazy times in America…not sure where it’s heading, exactly, but doesn’t seem good at all if you like things such as democracy, rule of law, protection of human rights, a professional civil service, etc.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08): “I welcome a judicial order to halt the Musk Administration’s abuse of USAID’s workforce even temporarily.”

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA08)’s office:

Beyer Statement On USAID

February 7, 2025 (Washington, D.C.) – Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA), who organized Members of Congress to show support for employees of the U.S. Agency For International Development (USAID) at USAID headquarters on Monday, issued the following statement today after a federal judge said he would temporarily halt the Musk Administration’s assault on USAID employees:

“I welcome a judicial order to halt the Musk Administration’s abuse of USAID’s workforce even temporarily. The court should uphold the law and put a full and permanent stop to the illegal, unconstitutional, immoral, and corrupt destruction of USAID.

“Over the past week, I have heard from hundreds of constituents affected by the assault on USAID. Some are tearful employees facing job loss for the ‘crime’ of doing important work their country asked them to do. Some are family members afraid for USAID workers posted abroad who were cut off from their work communication and financial systems while they were still overseas. Some are people with contracts Musk is refusing to pay, looking at large-scale layoffs of American employees.

“What is happening at USAID is an unmitigated disaster for the country and the world. It is already resulting in the spread of disease, starvation, and deaths from preventable causes. Sadly we know that many of those who die if USAID is not restored will be children.

“The American people will not benefit if USAID is permanently dismantled, they will lose. America will lose friends all over the world, and we will create enemies. America will lose influence with nations that will increasingly turn to adversaries China. And America will lose something that is important to have, and hard to regain when lost: the trust of our friends.

“Anyone who respects the rule of law and honors their oath to defend the Constitution should oppose the authoritarian assault by this White House under Elon Musk on federal agencies established and funded by Congress. As this case proceeds, I will continue to stand with the brave civil servants at USAID who show the best America has to offer to people all over the world.”

Beyer represents a Northern Virginia district with one of the largest concentrations of federal employees and contractors in the U.S. House.

Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine Join Democratic Colleagues in Demanding the Veterans Administration Defend Veterans’ Private Information From Elon Musk’s DOGE

By
Blue Virginia
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1

From Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine:

WARNER, KAINE JOIN DEMOCRATIC COLLEAGUES IN DEMANDING THE VA DEFEND VETERANS’ PRIVATE INFORMATION FROM ELON MUSK’S DOGE 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) joined Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and 23 of their Senate Democratic colleagues in a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Doug Collins pushing him to take immediate actions to secure veterans’ personal information provided by the VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE). This call follows Musk’s takeover of the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, which includes private information of veterans and their families, and reports of DOGE employees accessing VA computer systems at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. 

There are millions of veterans’ medical records stored in VA’s computer systems. These confidential records include veterans’ prescriptions, diagnoses, and procedures they have undergone. Access to these medical records could give Musk and DOGE the ability to identify veterans who have received abortions or abortion counseling in the past. The Million Veteran Program, which manages the genomic data of its more than one million veteran participants for authorized research programs, also stores its data in VA data systems. In addition, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system stores private information of veterans, surviving spouses, and their families, including their monthly disability compensation amount, home address, and bank account numbers. 

In their letter, the senators demanded the Secretary deny and sever Musk and DOGE’s access to any VA or other government system with information about veterans, and to delete any veterans’ information in their possession writing, “Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans…Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain.”

“Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information,” they continued. 

The senators wrote, “Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties.” 

A copy of the letter is available here and below: 

Dear Secretary Collins, 

Among many tasks, the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is entrusted with safeguarding the private and sensitive information of millions of veterans. Today, we call on you to immediately secure any personal and related information regarding veterans provided by VA or other agencies to Elon Musk and associates under the auspices of the “Department of Government Efficiency” established under Executive Order 14158. Further, we call on you to deny and sever their access to any VA or other government system that includes information about veterans, and to require them to immediately and permanently delete any information in their possession. Veterans risked their lives to defend our country, and they deserve better than to have an unelected billionaire reviewing their medical records, targeting the benefits they have earned, or using their private information for personal gain. 

Our nation’s veterans have entrusted their health records, including genetic samples, disability data, bank information, and other private information, to VA. The Department also stores sensitive veteran casework, files of whistleblowers who have come forward with concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse, and sensitive investigative files with veteran and federal employee information. Veterans and VA employees entrusted the Department with this information with the understanding that it would be kept private and only used to help deliver the highest quality of services to veterans, their families, and survivors. 

Meanwhile, the President has given unfettered access to federal databases and systems to Mr. Musk, an unelected citizen, and a team of colleagues with no formal documented employment agreement with the U.S. government. It is a group of private citizens with no experience in the federal government, who lack proper approval from legal and agency authorities, lack the appropriate security clearances, and lack the requisite background investigations or ethical conflict requirements. We are outraged these unelected, unvetted, and unaccountable individuals now have access to sensitive information that has been heavily secured for decades and by Administrations of both parties. 

These actions are in direct violation of federal laws meant to protect our national security and the privacy of our citizens’ personal information. This includes information on Social Security payments, Medicare, Medicaid, student loans, veterans’ disability compensation payments, GI Bill payments, federal civil servants’ personnel records, and much more. With every hour, we see DOGE further expand its efforts to create a massive private database of previously guarded data outside the federal government’s cyber and legal protections. It is an abhorrent and illegal overreach of executive powers, which conflicts with various federal statutes, including the Federal Information Security Modernization Act, the Privacy Act, the E-Government Act of 2002, and likely several other cyber and national security laws.

During your confirmation process, you claimed you would be focused on rooting out corruption and ensuring accountability at VA, and committed to following the laws passed by Congress. We now call on you to respond quickly and comprehensively to these privacy violations by revoking DOGE’s access to VA systems and insisting they permanently remove all VA data collected from their files.

Ivy Main: Virginia Distributed Solar Bills Move Forward, While Progress on Siting Utility Solar Stalls Out

By
lowkell
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2

Great stuff as always from Ivy Main/Power for the People VA.

Virginia’s desire to be a leader on clean energy has faced numerous challenges over the past few years, coming from many different directions. Landowners who want utility-scale solar on their rural property face increasingly hostile county boards, with no provisions for relief.

School systems, local governments and commercial customers that want solar on their buildings have been blocked by expensive new interconnection requirements imposed by Dominion Energy. And the clock is ticking on net metering, the program that gives customers with solar panels a one-for-one credit on surplus electricity they feed back into the grid.

The solar industry is used to struggling for every foothold it gets in Virginia, but these new challenges come at a particularly bad time. With data center growth creating huge pressures on our electricity supply, Virginia needs more clean energy in every size range, and needs it now. Any coherent approach to meeting demand has to include removing unnecessary barriers to both utility-scale and distributed solar. That both are facing more barriers, rather than less, suggests the state still hasn’t figured out what it takes to be an energy leader.

None of the legislation at the General Assembly this year addresses this fundamental failing head-on, but several bills took on some of the barriers. In particular, bills focused on rooftop solar and other distributed generation have made it to halftime in decent shape.

Sadly, the same cannot be said of bills designed to bring more utility-scale solar to Virginia, including siting legislation developed by the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (CEUR) and carried by Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax, and Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Charlottesville. The legislation sought to tackle the biggest obstacle to unleashing gigawatts of clean, low-cost energy across Virginia: local governments that deny permits to solar and energy storage facilities, acceding to neighbors who don’t want to have to look at solar panels where they once saw fields and forests. (Anti-solar fossil fuel front groups don’t help matters either.)

On the House side, Sullivan’s HB2126 was killed in a subcommittee vote. Senate Bill 1190 made it to the Senate Floor but was defeated when two Democrats, Senators Russet Perry and Lashrecse Aird, joined with all Republicans in siding with localities that did not want to cede any part of their authority over land use. The bill would have pressured local governments, but it did not strip them of authority. They would have been required to include in their comprehensive plans targets for energy production and energy efficiency (the latter an interesting addition). In evaluating specific projects, localities would have had to consider advisory opinions that would be issued by a new interagency panel of experts recruited from Virginia universities. Perhaps of greatest import, localities would no longer have been allowed to adopt ordinances that ban all projects outright or place unreasonable restrictions on them, or deny permits “without a reasonable basis.”

The Senate bill “incorporated” (by which is meant, it jettisoned the provisions of) another solar siting bill from Sen. Jeremy McPike, D-Woodbridge, and a separate piece of legislation from Sen. Schuyler Van Valkenburg, D-Richmond, that would have prescribed rigorous best practices for utility solar projects.

Over in the House, however, a companion to VanValkenburg’s bill from Del. Candi Munyon King, D-Dumfries, HB2438, passed the chamber 48-46. The bill came from the solar industry itself, proposing to adopt the highest standards for itself. So why wasn’t the vote unanimous? Go figure.

Bills advancing small-scale solar move forward

Legislation promoting distributed generation did not go through the CEUR pipe, but these bills show some wear and tear of their own.  A loose-knit group of advocates under the banner of the Equitable Solar Alliance came in with a package of three bills, all of which remain alive after favorable committee votes.

HB1883, from Del. Katrina Callsen, D-Charlottesville, increases the tiny carve-out for distributed solar that is part of Dominion’s obligation to buy renewable energy certificates in compliance with Virginia’s renewable portfolio standard. The bill has been pared down since it was introduced but still makes several changes benefiting behind-the-meter solar and battery storage systems under 3 MW.  The distributed generation carve-out, currently 1% of the renewable standard target, will get bumped to 3% in 2026 and 5% in 2028, with further changes possible later if the the State Corporation Commission (SCC) decides on it. Third-party power purchase agreements, which had been restricted to commercial projects, will now be available to residential customers. And whereas currently only projects smaller than 1 MW can earn up to $75 per renewable energy certificate, the bill now makes that amount available for projects up to 3 MW. (Certificates for larger solar projects are effectively capped at $45 per certificate.)

Callsen’s bill also raises to 600 MW, from 200 MW currently, the target for solar on previously developed sites. It also specifies that 65% of distributed projects qualifying for the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s 1,100 MW target for solar under 3 MW should be developed by non-utility providers.

HB1883 passed the House unanimously. Its Senate companion, SB1040 from Van Valkenburg, made it through committee without Republican support but passed the Senate 26-14.

Two other bills, HB2346 from Del. Phil Hernandez, D-Norfolk, and SB1100 from Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, establish a pilot program for virtual power plants (VPPs), which aggregate customer solar and storage resources and demand response capabilities. In concept, a VPP allows a utility to pay customers to let it make use of these capabilities, enabling it to meet peak demand without having to increase generation. (If you are familiar with programs in which your utility pays you to let it cycle your air conditioner off for a few minutes at a time on hot summer days, you have the idea.) VPPs are becoming popular in other states as a way to subsidize customers’ investments in things like battery storage, while reducing utility costs and saving money for all ratepayers.

The original hope for this legislation was ambitious: a vision of energy democracy that would reshape the way utilities interact with residential and commercial customers and make the most efficient use of new technologies like electric vehicle charging and smart appliances. The financial benefits to customers could even be enough to offset the costs of investments like home batteries, potentially offering a way for rooftop solar to remain affordable even if the SCC guts Virginia’s net metering program.

But, this being Virginia, the legislation making its way through committee calls only for pilot programs that utilities design and largely control, although they will be voluntary for participants. After 2028, however, the SCC may create permanent programs. SB1100 passed the Senate 22-18. HB2346 passed the House 71-27.

The third bill in the package, HB2356 from Del. Candi Munyon King, establishes an apprenticeship program to help develop a clean energy workforce, and requires participants to be paid prevailing wages. This bill is more politically divisive than the first two, and it passed the House only on a party-line vote. A companion bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote as well. With Republicans unified in opposition, we are likely to see amendments or a veto from the governor.

A couple of other bills seek to address the costs of interconnecting small-scale solar facilities, including those on schools and government buildings. After Dominion Energy changed its rules in late 2022, customers found the cost of connecting solar facilities to the distribution grid was suddenly so high as to make it impossible to pursue projects in the affected size range.

HB2266 from Del. Kathy Tran, D-Springfield, requires the SCC to approve upgrades to the distribution system that are needed to accommodate grid-connected solar — a safeguard designed to prevent the utility from larding on costs. The utility must then spread the costs across all projects that benefit from the expanded capacity. This strikes me as a pretty elegant solution to the interconnection muddle. HB2266 passed the House 57-41.

SB1058 from Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria, originally would have simply exempted public schools from interconnection costs. It was amended to look like Tran’s bill and then passed the Senate 21-18.

Finally, a bill from Del. David Bulova, D-Fairfax, would allow local governments to include in their land development ordinances a requirement that certain non-residential applicants install solar on a portion of a parking lot. HB2037 passed the House on a 64-32 vote and will now go to the Senate Committee on Local Government.

 

This article was originally published in the Virginia Mercury on February 3, 2025. It has been updated to reflect the most recent General Assembly votes.

Video: On MSNBC, 2025 VA Governor Candidate Abigail Spanberger Says the “implications of this chaos coming out of the White House…[are] absolutely dire” for Virginia and the Entire County

By
lowkell
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4

Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger was on MSNBC last night talking about the importance of federal workers and the “absolutely dire” “implications of this chaos coming out of the White House.”

  • “Let me tell you who some of these people are, because they are Virginians, so many of them. They are the nurse at the VA who takes care of our nation’s heroes. They are the Social Security employer who ensures that our grandparents get their Social Security checks. They are the law enforcement officers who keep our country safe from terrorist threats the world over. They are the intelligence community members who spend every single day working to keep their neighbors safe. They are the air traffic controllers who work day in and day out to avoid tragedy. They are moms and dads and community members. And they are Virginians. And this is, yes, about them – and for them it’s a kitchen table issue. But the impact, the idea that we would have a president and a governor who’s standing by as said President says we’re going to push them out of the workforce? And this is a kitchen table issue in Virginia, but the impact is substantial across the entirity of the country.”
  •  “Talking about the Virginians who serve every day at CIA, and I’m a former CIA officer, I worked undercover for my entire time with the agency. These are people with language skills. These are people with specific well-honed skills, a focus and a devotion to national security. These are people who could choose to have jobs in the private sector that yes, are far more lucrative, but they are people who are driven to serve a mission. And year after year after year, not only do they bring their skills and their talents to the cause, to the mission of keeping the American people safe, but they learn and build upon those skills. You do not become an intelligence officer overnight, just as those who were investigating everything from terrorism to bank robberies to large-scale fraud cases learn that skill overnight.”
  • “And so the reality is that what is happening the chaos that we are seeing out of Washington, the chaos coming out of this Administration, it is, yes, impactful to the Virginians that I have served and look forward to serving again as Governor, but it is impactful to Americans across the country.”
  • “The thing about the intelligence community is ideally, when things are going right, you never know what they’re doing.”
  • “As I’ve been traveling across Virginia in my campaign for Governor, from Southwest Virginia to Hampton Roads, this past weekend, Southwest the weekend before, this is an issue that people have brought to me. The reality is community health centers, they serve communities from the most rural parts of Virginia, across the entirety of our state. They deliver healthcare in places where people need it. And what we are seeing is there are at this point, currently by the numbers, more than a hundred health centers in Virginia that don’t know how they’re going to keep their staff on, they have not received the funding that they need. And the implications of this chaos coming out of the White House it is dire, it is absolutely dire. And this is the impact we are seeing here in Virginia. I’m hearing about it in every corner of our Commonwealth. And the sad reality is I know that it’s happening across the rest of the country as well.”

Friday News: “Catastrophic” Cuts to USAID; “Trump’s blitz to expand his power is direct threat to democracy”; “Musk’s Revolutionary Terror”; “Trump’s ‘Puppet Master’, Russ Vought, Confirmed to Lead OMB”; “DOGE Staffer Resigns Over Racist Posts”

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lowkell
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by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, February 7.

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