All of the above. That's the approach Governor Glenn Youngkin is expected to take in his energy plan, which is expected this fall. That includes wind and solar, but also nuclear energy and fossil fuels.
"The governor's energy plan, which is essentially anything and everything, is reckless, it's expensive and it's irresponsible," says Tim Cywinski at the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club.
"We can't afford to keep these projects online because one, they’re bad for our health, they're bad for our future and they're bad for our pocketbooks because they’re extremely expensive to keep online."
Thomas Turner is the state director for Conservatives for Clean Energy Virginia, and he says Virginia needs to continue using fossil fuels for now during the transition to renewable energy.
"We're seeing more and more conservatives starting to realize that having a broader platform of alternative energy is beneficial to not only our grid, but to also ensure that we’re not depending on our enemies for foreign oil," Turner says. "Or even now we're talking about critical minerals."
He says he expects the governor's plan to embrace more nuclear energy in the form of small modular reactors, which critics call an untested and unproven technology pushed by special interest groups.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
