WHEREAS, across Virginia, reliable, affordable, and clean energy is powering more homes and businesses than ever before; and

WHEREAS, Virginia faces an opportunity and challenge to meet unprecedented growth in energy demand with increasingly clean energy sources; and

WHEREAS, clean energy is part of Virginia’s energy future, which includes generation from nuclear, onshore and offshore wind, solar, pumped storage, renewable natural gas, biomass, and hydrogen sources; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s North Anna Nuclear Generating Station and Surry Nuclear Power Plant are the largest producers of clean energy, producing nearly a combined 3,600-megawatts of zero-emission baseload generation 24/7, 365 days a year; and

WHEREAS, Dominion Energy Virginia released a request for proposals to evaluate Virginia’s first small modular reactor at the North Anna site to be among the first operational SMRs in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s Bath County Pumped Storage Station, which has a net generating capacity of 3,003 megawatts, is the world’s most powerful pumped storage facility; and

WHEREAS, the completion of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is expected in 2026, which would include a 2,600-megawatt wind farm; and

WHEREAS, Virginia is home to 5,418 megawatts of solar generation capacity as of March 2024; and

WHEREAS, Charlotte County, Virginia permitted the largest solar energy project east of the Mississippi in the 800-megawatt Randolph Solar Project; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has been making important investments in technologies to reduce methane emissions and, instead, harness organic resources to generate dispatchable energy; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth and the private sector have forged key partnerships to continue Virginia’s legacy as a leader in energy storage technologies; and

WHEREAS, the clean energy sector is a growing part of the economy and has been a key driver of economic growth in Virginia in recent years, supporting over 197,000 solar, wind, and nuclear-focused jobs in 2022; and  

WHEREAS, clean energy jobs are inherently local and contribute to the growth of local economies; and, these jobs cannot be outsourced due to the on-site nature of construction, installation, and maintenance; and

WHEREAS, individuals and organizations in Virginia are encouraged to support solutions that address America’s economic and energy needs in the 21^st century and implement the cleanest energy technologies available; and

WHEREAS, Virginia must come together with an all-of-the-above energy plan to assert American energy leadership and ensure low-cost reliable energy at home; and

WHEREAS, citizens are encouraged to visit the Virginia Department of Energy’s website to learn more about the benefits of reliable, affordable, and clean energy in our community and celebrate Virginia’s leadership in energy innovation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 23-27, 2024, as RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND CLEAN ENERGY WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.