Jen Kiggans: … But During Her Time In The State Senate She Voted Against Removing Barriers To Homeowners And Businesses Generating Solar Power, And Voted Against The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA)

Kiggans Voted Against Removing Barriers To Homeowners And Businesses Generating Solar Power

Kiggans Voted Against A Bill Removing Barriers To Residents And Businesses Generating Their Own Solar Energy. In March 2020, Kiggans voted against S.B. 710, which “Promotes the establishment of distributed renewable solar and other renewable energy. The measure (i) requires the State Corporation Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program that allows multifamily customers of investor-owned utilities, other than American Electric Power, to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility; (ii) raises the cap on the total amount of renewable energy that can be net metered in a utility's service territory from one percent to six percent, five percent of which is available to all customers and one percent of which is available only to low-income utility customers; (iii) raises the cap for net-metered nonresidential generation facilities from one megawatt to three megawatts; (iv) allows certain localities to install solar or wind facilities of up to five megawatts on government-owned property and use the electricity for government-owned buildings; (v) increases the cap on the capacity of generation from facilities from the customer's expected annual energy consumption to 150 percent of such amount for customers in Dominion Energy Virginia's service territory; (vi) prohibits standby charges for any residential customer-generator or agricultural customer-generator of an investor-owned utility other than Dominion Energy Virginia; and (vii) increases the cap on third party power purchase agreements to 500 megawatts for jurisdictional customers and 500 megawatts for nonjurisdictional customers of Dominion Energy Virginia and to 40 megawatts for customers of American Electric Power.” The bill passed, 27-12. [Virginia General Assembly, Senate Bill 710, 3/8/20]

Kiggans Voted Against The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) Which Promoted Affordable Energy, Created Jobs, And Set Standards For Dominion Energy To Be 100 Percent Carbon Free By 2045

Kiggans Voted Against Establishing Environmental Goals Defined In Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA). In March of 2020, Kiggans voted against H.B. 1526, or the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which “establishes a schedule by which Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power are required to retire electric generating units located in the Commonwealth that emit carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity and by which they are required to construct, acquire, or enter into agreements to purchase generating capacity located in the Commonwealth using energy derived from sunlight or onshore wind.” The bill passed 29-11 and became law on April 4th of 2020. [Virginia General Assembly, HB 1526, 3/4/20]

2021: Kiggans Boasted An Offshore Wind Project Would Help Meet Emissions Goals Set By VCEA, Which She Did Not Vote For

Kiggans Boasted About An Offshore Wind Project Designed To Meet Environmental Goals Included In The Virginia Clean Economy Act, Saying The Project Would Create 1,100 Jobs. “The CVOW project is being built 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach and has established Virginia as the nationwide offshore wind development leader. As the project continues, Virginia will become a new supply chain hub for the East Coast, bringing with it hundreds of clean energy jobs and additional economic benefits […] According to a study released by the Hampton Roads Alliance and conducted by Magnum Economics, upon completion in 2026, the CVOW project will support more than 1,100 direct and indirect jobs, $82 million in pay and benefits, $210 million in economic output, and $11 million in state and local tax revenue. These benefits will have ripple effects across the commonwealth, from one corner of the state to another. The CVOW project is well worth the investment, and the State Corporation Commission has overseen and will continue to oversee Dominion Energy to ensure the project remains in the best interest of ratepayers. It also will help us meet Virginia’s emission goal, per the Clean Economy Act, of net-zero by 2050.” [Richmond Times-Dispatch, Jen Kiggans And Terry Kilgore, 10/2/21]