Virginia’s Clean Energy Act: High Costs, Low Benefits

Abigail Spanberger and the Democrat majority in the Virginia General Assembly have gone all-in on the Virginia Clean Energy Act (VCEA)—a law that hikes energy costs, weakens grid reliability, and delivers no measurable reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions. 

The VCEA calls for 13,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power to reach its 2045 clean energy mandate. With a 100 MW solar farm consuming up to 500 acres, that means roughly 65,000 acres—or 100 square miles—of land will be covered in panels. Beyond the sheer visual blight, what other consequences come with carving up this much land for solar fields?

Governor Younkin has warned that VCEA is driving up energy costs, increasing dependence on out-of-state power imports, and imposing $5.5 billion in compliance costs over the next decade all while creating a reliability crisis due to insufficient baseload generation.

Winsome Earle-Sears aligns with Governor’s Yougkin’s policies and will prioritize energy reliability, as well as affordability, over fixed mandates for renewable energy.