America will invest $80 billion from the American Recovery and Investment Act for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and public transit.  What this means for Virginia is that 93,000 green jobs will be created or maintained while providing the commonwealth with secure sources of energy and reducing our global warming pollution.  Virginia's potential for renewable energy can now be more easily realized.

We Need to Invest in Renewable Energy Now

Don’t let Congress drop the ball on renewable energy. Tell Virginia's Congress that the health of our environment and our economy depends on a thriving renewable energy industry.

Ingenuity, investment and hard work have created fledgling renewable energy industries, such as wind and solar power, that are help solve global warming and Virginia's energy problems, while creating thousands of good jobs that boost our economy.

Solar:  We all know Virginia gets a lot of sun.  If every suitable rooftop is fitted with solar panels, over 3,000,000 homes can be powered with solar energy!

Wind:  Just a few miles off our coast just one offshore wind project can produce 20 percent of our electricity.  Wind energy cuts our pollution and saves water in the process.

In order to put Virginia on the right track for a renewable energy future we need to reduce our energy consumption by 20 percent and produce 25 percent of our electricity from clean, renewable sources.

To do this, the Commonwealth of Virginia must:

• Adopt 2009 International Energy Conservation Code building standards that can reduce energy use in new homes by 20%
• Pass a renewable electricity standard requiring 25% of our electricity is generated from renewable sources by 2025
• Support renewable industries like wind and solar by passing renewable energy production and manufacturing tax credits