We are providing a new space on our website that focuses on national, state, and local legislation that we want folks to know about. Our first presentation pertains to the recent VA General Assembly (GA) session. If you have questions about what you find here, please reach out to contactcaav [at] gmail.com.
This year’s GA considered a huge number of bills pertaining to the environment, climate change, energy, conservation, and utilities. The session has now ended and many bills await the Governor’s signature. Because the number of these bills is so large, and because of their potential to change the landscape in these important areas, CAAV is presenting a summary of 15 of what we believe are among the most significant. We are including how the Central Valley Legislators voted on them.
See the spreadsheet below; passed bills are in green and those that failed are in red. Use the sliders to access the entire spreadsheet. If you have a different state senator and/or delegate than those shown, you can use the listed link to locate a bill on Virginia’s Legislative Information System (LIS), https://lis.virginia.gov/, to find out how your representative voted. We have included a few bills that did not pass. We are also providing links to media coverage of several of the more notable bills, identified by subject.
The document below the spreadsheet provides details from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network about the VA Clean Economy Act, arguably one of the most complex bills passed.
– Joy Loving for the CAAV Legislative and Elections Committee
Media Coverage
Electric Utility Regulations
https://www.baconsrebellion.com/wp/thought-experiment-dominion-as-a-media-company/
Clean Energy
https://www.nrdc.org/experts/walton-shepherd/how-rev-virginias-new-climate-action-engine
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/3/12/21172836/renewable-energy-virginia-100-percent-clean
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/clean-energy-bill-marks-dramatic-transition-for-virginia-amid-dispute-over/573793/
https://powerforthepeopleva.com/2020/03/06/the-wise-county-coal-plant-should-never-have-been-built-why-fight-to-keep-it-open/
https://energynews.us/2020/03/16/southeast/virginia-compromise-brings-clarity-to-homeowner-association-solar-rules/
https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/03/virginia-bill-hoa-solar-installation/
https://powerforthepeopleva.com/2020/03/16/it-was-a-messy-chaotic-general-assembly-session-it-also-worked-out-pretty-well/
https://www.virginiamercury.com/2020/03/18/new-laws-clear-away-barriers-to-small-solar-projects/
Water
https://www.cbf.org/about-cbf/locations/virginia/offices/richmond/legislative-session/
View the spreadsheet below in Google Sheets HERE.
Click “Ctrl” (Control) and “+” to enlarge the print if needed for ease of viewing. Note that this may cause extra sliders to appear just outside the original, shorter ones which allow viewing of the complete spreadsheet. You can use “Ctrl/-” to reset the size.
View this document on CCAN’s website HERE.
Climate Action Alliance of the Valley 