Virginia Solar Summit — Richmond, Virginia
Conservatives for Clean Energy was proud to attend the Virginia Solar Summit in Richmond, Virginia — a robust three-day conference that brought together energy leaders, agricultural stakeholders, policymakers, and industry experts to explore the critical and growing role of solar energy in securing the Commonwealth’s future.
From the outset, the Summit set a tone that resonated deeply with our values: energy independence, economic opportunity, responsible land stewardship, and the long-term security of American families and businesses.
Newly appointed Cabinet Member, Chief Energy Officer Josephus Allmond, addressed attendees with a compelling case for solar energy as a cornerstone of Virginia’s energy independence. As conservatives, we know that dependence on foreign energy is a national security risk and an economic vulnerability. CEO Allmond’s overview of the Governor’s Energy Agenda reflected some of the principles we at CCE have long championed: reducing reliance on imported fuels, investing in domestic energy production, and building a resilient grid that serves every Virginian — rural and urban alike.
The Summit also proved to be an invaluable opportunity for relationship-building and cross-sector dialogue. Our Director, Thomas Turner, had the opportunity to reconnect with many longtime friends and colleagues across the energy industry, reinforcing the kind of trusted networks that move good policy forward. Director Turner also had a productive conversation with Commerce and Labor Deputy Secretary Kristen Dahlman on the state of Virginia’s energy landscape and the important work ahead for the Clean Energy Advisory Board — a body on which Director Turner proudly serves as Chair. These conversations reflect CCE’s ongoing commitment to being at the table where decisions are made, ensuring that conservative voices are heard in shaping Virginia’s clean energy future.
One of the most substantive and exciting discussions of the Summit centered on Agrivoltaics — also known as agrisolar or dual-use solar. This innovative approach to land use involves installing solar panels on the same land used for agricultural production, whether for row crops, grazing livestock, or pollinator habitats. Far from a radical concept, agrivoltaics is a fundamentally conservative idea: it maximizes the productivity of private land, strengthens the financial stability of family farms, and reduces pressure to convert additional acreage away from its existing purpose for energy development.
For Virginia’s farming communities, agrivoltaics represents a genuine opportunity. Farmers can generate a new, stable revenue stream from their land while continuing to grow food — a particularly meaningful prospect at a time when agricultural margins remain tight, and rural economies face persistent headwinds. When a landowner can graze sheep beneath solar panels while leasing energy rights, that’s not a compromise — that’s smart, efficient use of God-given resources.
From a grid stability standpoint, distributed solar generation across agricultural lands also strengthens Virginia’s energy infrastructure by reducing the vulnerability that comes with over-centralization. A more distributed, resilient grid is a more secure grid — and that’s a win for every family and business in the Commonwealth.
Conservatives for Clean Energy left Richmond energized. The Virginia Solar Summit made clear that solar isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a practical one. The farmers, landowners, utility professionals, and policymakers in that room shared a common goal: a prosperous, energy-independent Virginia. We look forward to continuing to build these bridges and advancing commonsense energy solutions that work for all Virginians.