Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is working with Democrats who control the General Assembly to increase renewable energy.
It's the hottest new energy source, literally. Geothermal energy is created by boring deep into the ground to release heat from the earth's crust. And now Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin is signing a bill that would add geothermal energy to Virginia's renewable energy portfolio standards – essentially encouraging geothermal energy production in Virginia. The bill was introduced by Senator Jeremy McPike, a Democrat from Prince William County.
"The geology of Virginia may not be perfect for it, but we want companies to explore it as a renewable source," McPike says. "And so, this is something that hasn’t been in the code. I think by adding it, it’s a signal that, ‘hey, we’re interested [in] adding it to our renewable portfolio standard.’"
Southwest Virginia has the best opportunity to take advantage of geothermal energy, says Virginia state director of Conservatives for Clean Energy Thomas Turner.
"I'm very glad that the governor has been a leader in energy his administration. I think that’s one of his legacy points is energy planning," Turner says. "And I'm really thankful that he has embraced the all-of-the-above approach to energy, as many Republican governors have across the country."
The governor also tried to add nuclear energy to the renewable energy portfolio standards, but members of the General Assembly rejected that amendment. The governor then signed the original bill, which will become a new law this summer.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
