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RTO Insider examined Virginia's new energy plan, quoting Kim Jemaine on how it stifles the governor's goal of reliability, affordability, innovation, and competition. Read snippets below and the full article here. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) on Monday released an energy plan that focuses on developing still-untested carbon-free resources while calling into question the ability of current renewable technology to make up for lost capacity as the state shifts away from fossil fuels.

The Virginia Pilot detailed Gov. Glenn Youngkin's new energy plan, quoting Kim Jemaine on how it takes the Commonwealth off course. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin unveiled a new energy plan on Monday that he said calls for a flexible approach.

Plan calls for U-turn away from cleaner, cheaper energy future in Virginia, says business group

RICHMOND, VA, October 3, 2022 – Today, business association Virginia Advanced Energy Economy reviewed the new Energy Plan proposed by the Governor Youngkin Administration, and Kim Jemaine, Director at Virginia AEE, released the following statement:

Treating solar panels like pavement creates unnecessary project costs, new industry research paper shows

RICHMOND, July 13, 2022 — Business association Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) expressed disappointment about new regulatory guidance issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) today that fails to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens on the Virginia solar industry.

The guidance updates regulatory memos issued by Virginia’s DEQ in March that changed technical parameters of solar farm construction and maintenance. The DEQ memos claimed that because solar farms look similar to roads and parking lots on satellite imagery, solar farms should be regulated as such. Guidance released today outlined means for compliance, suggesting developers install unnecessary technology workarounds.

“Solar panels are not pavement, and solar farms are not parking lots,” said Kim Jemaine, Policy Director at Advanced Energy Economy (AEE). “Research conducted by both academic institutions and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory confirms that solar installations do not cause the kind of damaging runoff that paved surfaces do. These new regulations, which are not based on science, will hamstring a growing industry in Virginia for no valid reason.”

Richmond Times-Dispatch published a column by AEE's Kim Jemaine discussing the bipartisan passage of legislation in Virginia's Senate maximizing EVs in the state. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Thankfully, the passage of Senate Bull 575 - the so-called fleet optimization bill - proved that smart, fiscally responsible legislation still can get bipartisan support, and point the commonwealth toward a smarter transportation future.