Richmond Times-Dispatch, Letters to the Editor, Aug. 2, 2019
Editor, Times-Dispatch:
As a moderate voter who works in the energy industry, I believe that matters of energy policy should be truthfully and fairly deliberated in a manner that emphasizes conservation. I would like to respond to a letter from July 10, which significantly misrepresented Glen Sturtevant’s record on clean energy. It’s clear to me, a constituent, that he is a leading clean energy advocate in the Virginia Senate.
Sturtevant is one of four members on a special Senate subcommittee devoted solely to considering renewable energy policy in the commonwealth. In this role, he has worked to educate his fellow legislators and the public about the immense economic benefits of renewables. He has consistently opposed implementing burdensome regulatory requirements for innovative technologies, and supported policies to responsibly transition Virginia into a clean and sustainable energy future.
In 2018, he was the chief sponsor of legislation to boost energy efficiency programs and help Virginians reduce energy waste (while conserving their hard-earned money). Earlier this year, Sturtevant introduced legislation raising the net metering cap for farmers and families served by electric cooperatives, allowing them to generate their own solar power. This passed unanimously in both houses.
Sturtevant also supported numerous other bills such as the Grid Transformation & Security Act, which will add 3,000 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid.
The legislation expanded investments in energy efficiency and new energy technology to historic levels, and launched Virginia’s first offshore wind generation project. It also helped establish a smarter and more secure grid that is critical to accommodating clean energy technologies.
It’s no surprise that Sturtevant was named “Clean Energy Champion” by Conservatives for Clean Energy Virginia. His leadership on clean energy will bring enormous economic and environmental benefits to the commonwealth, and we can all be proud of his bipartisan work on this.
John Donner.
Richmond.