News

The project is set to be the largest offshore wind farm in America and could cement Virginia as the nation’s leading wind power hub 

RICHMOND, August 5, 2022 — Business association Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) applauded  today’s State Corporation Commission decision greenlighting construction of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The project is set to be the largest offshore wind farm in North America and follows the landmark 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which included specific provisions to encourage the development of offshore wind, helping Virginia’s largest utility go 100% clean by 2045. 

Virginia Business reported on the SCC's approval of Virginia's offshore wind farm, quoting AEE's Harry Godfrey the project's economic impact. Read snippets below and the full article here.

The State Corporation Commission has approved Dominion Energy Inc.’s application for the proposed $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project (CVOW), which calls for the construction of 176 wind turbines 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.

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.”

New report commissioned by Virginia AEE finds overall cost savings from decarbonizing Virginia’s electric grid over the next 25 years

RICHMOND, February 8, 2022 – Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE) today released the findings of a new report that quantifies the costs and benefits of 2020’s Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), and found the law will lead to a reduction of electric bills for the average Virginia household by $33.76 per year by 2030.

The message to Senators and Delegates: The advanced energy industry already employs over 93,000 people across Virginia, and the General Assembly’s new policies, including the VCEA, RGGI and Clean Cars standards, set the Commonwealth up for continued job growth

RICHMOND, January 28, 2022 — In an open letter to the members of the Virginia General Assembly, business leaders from across the advanced energy industry are calling on state Senators and Delegates to stay the course on creating a clean energy future for the Commonwealth. The call to action was organized by Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE), in partnership with its affiliate organization Advanced Energy Works, which published the open letter online and in a full page ad in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Friday.  

Economic analysis finds $20 billion in targeted stimulus investment would have a seven-fold impact, increasing Virginia’s gross state product and adding nearly 840,000 new jobs.

RICHMOND, June 14, 2021 – Today, national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released an economic assessment that found $20 billion in public investments across a range of advanced energy technologies* would increase Virginia's gross state product (GSP) by nearly $134 billion. This level of targeted stimulus would attract $49 billion in complementary private investment, save customers $6.4 billion annually, and add 838,000 jobs, measured in job-years, for Virginians.

Public News Service summarized potential effects of electric vehicle investment in Virginia, citing AEE's market report and comments from Ryan Gallentine. Read snippets below and the full article here. Read coverage on this story from Augusta Free Press here. 

As negotiations in Congress continue on a federal infrastructure package, a report out today predicts the American Jobs Plan's proposed $274 billion investment to support electric vehicles would boost the nation's economy and create millions of jobs.

Augusta Free Press summarized the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s new solar energy facilities, featuring comments from Virginia AEE's Harry Godfrey. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Virginia Advanced Energy Economy hosted lawmakers Tuesday for the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s recently completed solar energy rooftop array.

Virginia AEE, Sun Tribe, and BrightSuite host U.S. Representative Spanberger, State Senator Hashmi, and State Delegate Ware to tour new school solar rooftop array, illustrating significant energy cost savings, benefits of Virginia Clean Economy Act, employment growth for the Commonwealth.

POWHATAN, VIRGINIA, June 8, 2021 — Today, business group Virginia Advanced Energy Economy (Virginia AEE), its member, Virginia-based solar developer Sun Tribe, and BrightSuite Solar, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy, hosted Virginia and U.S. congressional lawmakers for the unveiling of Powhatan Elementary School’s recently completed solar energy rooftop array. The project illustrates the impact of Virginia’s Clean Economy Act and growing advanced energy employment across the Commonwealth, expected to increase by 8% according to AEE’s latest jobs fact sheet. The solar arrays at Powhatan County Public Schools were developed through a partnership between BrightSuite and Sun Tribe.

The Virginia Pilot ran Virginia Advanced Energy Economy Director, Harry Godfrey’s opinion piece on Dominion’s exit from the PJM capacity market. Read snippets below and the full article here.

Earlier this year, America watched in shock as the Texas electrical grid all but collapsed in the midst of an historic winter storm. With power plants and pipelines hobbled by cold weather, Texans were left to huddle in their homes for days without light, heat and, in many cases, running water. Could that happen in Virginia?