The inaugural year of the Conservative Energy Caucus was a great success in attracting legislators from both the house and senate from the beach to the Blue Ridge! Below are the topics and guest speakers who joined the Caucus in Richmond in 2o24. Keep an eye out for our 2025 line up!
Week 1: A discussion with the South Central Virginia Business Alliance
Clean Energy and Virginia Small Businesses
The South-Central Virginia Business Alliance (SCVBA) connects local businesses with opportunities in all aspects of solar growth including construction, infrastructure projects, maintenance, and operations. SCVBA will share how their group sees solar projects benefiting local economies.
Week 2: Local Tax Revenue from Energy Generation
Solar and Storage as leading taxpayers in VA
Legislation passed in 2020 changed the way localities could tax solar and storage projects. Since then, counties have received millions in tax payments to support their budgets; some counties have cut taxes on residents as a result of these new revenues.
Attorneys from Gentry Locke helped create the 2020 legislation and have worked with dozens of counties to negotiate these tax packages. This discussion will provide legislators with an update on these tax policies and their impact across the Commonwealth.
Week 3: Next Generation Clean Energy
A discussion on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) and the promise of green Hydrogen
Virginia Department of Energy Director, Glenn Davis, will share updates on the promise of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) and Hydrogen Energy in the Commonwealth. Director Davis spearheads these energy portfolios for Governor Youngkin to help make Virginia a leader in these technologies.
Week 5: Solar + Farming
An agrivoltaics discussion with solar grazers
Marcus Gray of Gray’s Lambscaping and Eric Bronson of James River Grazing will share their experience grazing their flocks of sheep under panels. Marcus is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Eric holds a position at the American Farmland Trust as the Mid-Atlantic Smart Solar Specialist.
During this conversation, we will discuss how solar and farming already co-exist in Virginia. While creating a new agricultural economy, solar grazers are benefiting the soil and ecosystem over time with the rotation of their flocks.
Week 6: Renewables and the Grid of the Future
A conversation with Thomas Bowen, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
This presentation from NREL will highlight the progress renewables have made over the past decade, and the advancements we can expect in the future. Thomas will bring legislators up to speed on how renewables are added to the grid without compromising security or stability. Legislators will have access to one of the nation’s foremost experts on renewables to answer questions that matter to their districts!
