Environment

I support funding of renewable energy grant programs and incentives to assist the development of new energy businesses and technology. Any efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through efficiency, conservation, and education is critical. A clean, safe environment is part of the debt we owe the next generation of Virginians. I will carefully weigh the environmental impact of all legislation before the House of Delegates and support legislation to clean up and beautify our most precious natural sources, especially our Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Climate change is one of the most pressing concerns for the future of our Commonwealth. I strongly support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is a regional market for the trading of carbon dioxide allowances. Participation in this program has netted over $100 million of revenue since Virginia joined in 2021, which is being used to mitigate climate change and assist Virginia communities in adapting to sea-level rise. But RGGI is under threat. Governor Youngkin campaigned on withdrawing Virginia from the program and the Republican-controlled House of Delegates passed a bill in 2022 that would have done just that. I voted against that bill. I voted for the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act in 2020, which originally directed Virginia to join the RGGI, and I will continue to vote against leaving. The leave bill ultimately failed in the Senate, but the fight is not over. In coming years, I will continue to do my part to protect Virginia’s involvement in the RGGI and ensure a bright future for the Commonwealth.

I also support measures such as providing tax rebates for Virginians who purchase energy-efficient vehicles or install solar panels, among other environmentally-friendly purchases. I would like to see Virginia invest in more clean energy, such as solar and wind, and mass transit, and I would like to pass legislation to curb pollutants such as single-use plastics and styrofoam that contaminate our waterways and kill wildlife. I will continue to support former Governor Northam’s goal of reaching 30 percent of Virginia's electric system powered by renewable energy resources by 2030, as well as 100 percent of Virginia's electricity produced from carbon-free sources such as wind, solar and nuclear by 2050, and I will protect the progress that we have made so far towards those goals.

During my time as your Delegate, I have introduced and passed several environmental bills. During my first session, I introduced HB 618, which aimed to create community solar gardens where utilities would provide credit to consumers in the form of net metering credits for the excess energy produced. In 2019, I passed HB 2009, which increases transparency and efficiency of Virginia Land Conservation Foundation projects. I passed HB 502 in 2020, which strengthens the litter tax by adding a $100 penalty. My bill HB 1046, which fined vendors for distributing single-use polystyrene food service containers, was incorporated into HB 533, which also passed into law in 2020. In 2022, I passed HB 314, directing the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to create an official brochure promoting the use of native plants and warning of the dangers of invasive plants, to be used in retail establishments that sell plants across the Commonwealth.