Yesterday, in advance of Governor McAuliffe’s meeting with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginian-Pilot published an op-ed by VAEIC board president, Francis Hodsoll. Echoing last week’s report by VAEIC and the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, the op-ed highlights the economic opportunity the Clean Power Plan represents for Virginia.

An excerpt:

“This summer, we expect a final Clean Power Plan rule, the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement that states reduce carbon pollution from electricity generation. The big question for Virginia: Is the regulation an anchor or an opportunity?

 

A growing chorus of businesses sees economic opportunity for the commonwealth: a chance to foster long-term growth, drive prudent energy diversification and create thousands of new jobs. More importantly, Virginia can leap from a laggard to a leader in the high-growth, jobs-intensive advanced energy industry.

A new report, ‘Assessing Virginia’s Energy Future: Employment Impacts of Clean Power Plan Compliance Scenarios,’ concludes that reducing carbon pollution could create tens of thousands of jobs in Virginia while diversifying our energy portfolio and reducing our imports.

Virginia Advanced Energy Industries Coalition and the Advanced Energy Economy Institute, two business groups, commissioned Meister Consultants Group to analyze the impact of CPP compliance and produce this report.”

To read the full op-ed, go to: http://hamptonroads.com/2015/04/hodsoll-cut-carbon-boost-virginias-economy

 

VAEIC partnered with the Advanced Energy Economy Institute to produce a new report ‘Assessing Virginia’s Energy Future: Employment Impacts of Clean Power Plan Compliance Scenarios.’ This report concludes that reducing carbon pollution could create tens of thousands of jobs in Virginia while diversifying our energy portfolio and reducing our imports.