Meeting and Exceeding Clean Power Plan Virginia

The document outlines a strategy for Virginia to exceed its Clean Power Plan goals through a revenue-raising carbon trading program and mandatory energy standards. It highlights the state's significant renewable energy potential and projects substantial economic and health benefits, including billions in capital investments and pollution avoidance by 2030.

• Virginia's electricity generation in 2014 was dominated by nuclear power (40 percent) and natural gas (28 percent), while coal accounted for 27 percent and non-hydro renewables only 2.8 percent.
• A U.S. Department of Energy analysis indicates Virginia had the economic potential in 2014 to source between 48 and 118 percent of its electricity sales from renewable energy, primarily through wind and utility-scale solar.
• Implementing stronger policies and a carbon trading program could generate an average of $241 million annually from carbon allowance sales and lead to $3.4 billion in energy efficiency improvements for consumers.
• By 2030, the proposed policy changes could reduce typical resident electricity bills by 5 percent (saving $77 annually), spur 6,163 MW of new wind and solar capacity resulting in $3.4 billion in capital investments, and avoid 77 million tons of CO2.
• The cumulative health and economic benefits of avoiding carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide pollution are estimated at $2.6 billion through 2030.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Meeting and Exceeding Clean Power Plan Virginia. https://www.ucs.org/resources/meeting-and-exceeding-clean-power-plan-virginia

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Meeting and Exceeding Clean Power Plan Virginia. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/resources/meeting-and-exceeding-clean-power-plan-virginia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Meeting and Exceeding Clean Power Plan Virginia |date=14 January 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/meeting-and-exceeding-clean-power-plan-virginia |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016meeting, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Meeting and Exceeding Clean Power Plan Virginia}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = jan, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/meeting-and-exceeding-clean-power-plan-virginia}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }