Tax Holiday this weekend for Energy Star products
Posted by susanna on 07 Oct 2008 | Tagged as: Virginia
On the heels of the recent report released by ACEEE that shows that Virginians can reduce electricity demands by 20% in 20 years through efficiency measures, Gov Kaine has announced Virginia’s second annual sales tax holiday on energy efficient products. On Friday and Saturday of this week, Virginians will be exempt from paying sales tax on ENERGY STAR and WaterSense qualified products that cost $2,500 or less.
According to the ACEEE report, all of Virginia’s neighbors besides West Virginia rank higher in energy efficiency investments. Maryland, North Carolina and Washington DC all edge out Virginia, which is currently ranked at 32nd. As one of the most highly educated and wealthiest states in the nation, Virginia can do better. ACEEE recommends that Virginia enact strong policies that set strong targets, reduce peak demand and incentivize efficiency. Policies that have already been tested and proven in states like California, Oregon and Connecticut.
Instead, Virginia is building new, controversial and expensive coal plants like the one in Wise County. While Dominion has already asked for an 18% rate increase this year—which does not include the cost of the new plant—ratepayers could save $15 billion in energy bills through efficiency investments. But I guess we’ll have to settle for Gov Kaine’s energy efficiency tax holiday, which saved Virginians $166,000 last year. Hey Governor, we’ve got $14.9 billion to go.
Send the report to your legislator here>>
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1 Comment »
on 07 Oct 2008 at 4:21 pm 1.Green Choice$: McLean, Virginia said …
[...] learn about how they “can conserve energy without breaking the bank” just prior to the minimalist Virginia action re energy efficiency of a sales tax holiday. “Often, small changes in one’s lifestyle can add up to big changes in our efforts to save [...]