The Virginia state House of Delegates on Jan. 31 voted 86 -12 to reject a bill that would have required all of the state’s electricity to come from clean energy after 2036 while also placing a moratorium on new fossil fuel developments. (HB 1635)

The bill would have put Virginia in line with California, District of Columbia, Hawaii, New York, and Washington, which have set goals or committed to 100 percent clean energy. The Grid Transformation and Security Act that took effect last July paved the way for widespread adoption of renewables in Virginia, building on a comprehensive suite of clean energy bills passed in 2017 to promote renewables and energy efficiency in the state which has remained demure in embracing clean energy. The act declares that 5,000 megawatts of solar and wind energy are in the public interest, making it easier for these projects get regulatory approval. The state’s 10-year energy plan, released last October, recommends the development of 3 gigawatts of solar and onshore wind by 2022, and 2 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2028.