3 Steps Virginia Can Take to Meet—and Then Exceed—its Clean Power Plan Targets

Virginia is required by the U.S. Clean Power Plan to reduce power sector emissions by 23 percent below 2012 levels by 2030. The document argues that by improving energy efficiency, increasing renewable energy use to meet voluntary goals, and maximizing the output of existing natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants, the state could reduce emissions by up to 43 percent by 2030. These actions are presented as cost-effective measures that could increase GDP, provide billions in net benefits, and generate revenue through the sale of unused emissions allowances.

• The U.S. EPA requires Virginia to reduce power sector emissions by 23 percent below 2012 levels by 2030, a target the state has already partially addressed by locking in one-third of the necessary reductions through planned coal plant retirements and investments in efficiency and renewables.
• Virginia could surpass its Clean Power Plan target and reduce power sector CO2 emissions by 27 percent below 2012 levels in 2030 by simply achieving its existing voluntary targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
• Further emissions reductions of 16 percent are possible by running existing and under-construction (as of January 2014) natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants at 75 percent capacity, which would bring total power plant emissions reductions to 43 percent by 2030.
• Implementing these strategies offers significant economic advantages: a robust energy efficiency policy could increase state GDP by $286 million, renewable energy investments could provide $6.9 billion in net benefits by 2026, and selling unused emissions allowances could generate approximately $100 million on average between 2022 and 2030.

APA

World Resources Institute (2015). 3 Steps Virginia Can Take to Meet—and Then Exceed—its Clean Power Plan Targets. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-virginia-can-take-meet-and-then-exceed-its-clean-power-plan-targets

Chicago

World Resources Institute. 3 Steps Virginia Can Take to Meet—and Then Exceed—its Clean Power Plan Targets. 2015. https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-virginia-can-take-meet-and-then-exceed-its-clean-power-plan-targets.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=3 Steps Virginia Can Take to Meet—and Then Exceed—its Clean Power Plan Targets |date=6 October 2015 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-virginia-can-take-meet-and-then-exceed-its-clean-power-plan-targets |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2015steps, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{3 Steps Virginia Can Take to Meet—and Then Exceed—its Clean Power Plan Targets}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/3-steps-virginia-can-take-meet-and-then-exceed-its-clean-power-plan-targets}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }