Gov. McAuliffe’s Smart Climate Move Can Secure Virginia’s Clean Energy Future

ALEXANDRIA  – Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe unveiled a bold state strategy to cap carbon pollution from power plants—one of the biggest drivers of climate change—and to expand the state’s clean energy capacity with renewable power.

Walton Shepherd, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council who works on Virginia energy issues, issued this statement:

“Gov. McAuliffe’s plan is what climate and clean energy leadership looks like. While President Trump keeps harping on the climate-changing fossil fuels of yesteryear, McAuliffe is championing a healthier, clean energy future for Virginians.

“McAuliffe’s sensible plan to cut carbon pollution—a key driver of climate change—will help protect Virginia’s coastlines, countryside and communities from climate harm. It can help create good-paying clean energy jobs and help save Virginians’ money on their electric bills, which today are some of the nation’s highest.

“One of the smartest elements of the governor’s initiative is to partner with the one in five states in the country that are already successfully cutting their carbon pollution. People in the Old Dominion want climate action, by wide margins, and this is the kind of visionary plan that will get the job done.”

A Shepherd blog on today’s announcement, and related Virginia issues, will be here: https://www.nrdc.org/experts/walton-shepherd

###

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 2 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Livingston, Montana, and Beijing. Visit us at http://www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.