Virginia Sets Aggressive New Solar, Wind Goals

By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent

Virginia is a solar state you on which you sleep at your own peril. It has long caught the eye of trend-spotters who believe it is on the verge of being the next solar boom state but, for various reasons (mostly political), it has never quite lived up to its solar potential.

This week, however, Governor Ralph Northam took steps to change the future, unveiling a plan to build nearly 5 GW of solar and wind resources. The plan sets aside 2 GW for offshore wind and sets the other 3 GW aside for solar and onshore wind. It’s not entirely clear from the plan what percentage of that 3 GW will in fact be solar.

The timeline for this development is 10 years.

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“The clean energy sector has the power to create new business opportunities, expand customer access to renewable energy, and spark the high-demand jobs of the 21st century,” said Governor Northam. “Virginia can shift to a more modern electric grid that is reliable, affordable, resilient, and environmentally responsible—and the Commonwealth can lead this critical industry as a result. This plan sets an ambitious path forward for Virginia, and I am confident we will charge ahead towards progress over the course of my administration.”

The plan builds upon implementation of the Grid Transformation and Security Act (Senate Bill 966), which Governor Northam signed into law earlier this year.

A solar revolution in Virginia has been on the horizon, coming in fits and starts as corporations like Facebook settle into the state and are starting to demand solar as part of their electricity generation. Former Governor Terry McAuliffe set the stage, signing a flurry of pro-solar bills before leaving office and launching significant state investments in solar at the state’s universities. But utilities like Dominion Energy have fought behind the scenes to slow rooftop solar development even as they invest in utility-scale solar themselves.

It should be noted that the new plan does not specify whether the development will be utility-scale or rooftop, either – so it bears watching to see how the solar revolution unfolds in Old Dominion.