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Virginia

The climate crisis is here, and it’s hurting every community in Virginia. Flooding from sea level rise has become one of the most challenging public policy issues ever to face coastal Virginia. Intense storms are devastating agriculture across the state. Dangerous heat waves are causing asthma hospitalizations, heart attacks, and more. Residents of coastal neighborhoods in Norfolk deal with water lapping at their front doors from rising seas. More severe and intense storms are damaging property across the commonwealth.

CCAN and its supporters have achieved significant steps forward to promote clean energy and shut down some of the state’s dirtiest coal-fired power plants in recent years. But Virginia’s vast potential for clean energy and energy efficiency solutions still remains largely untapped because fossil fuel interests — led by Dominion Energy — continue to stand in the way of progress.

CCAN Campaigns

Big Gas wants to massively build out new fracked-gas infrastructure.  These pipelines are being built with a lifetime of 40 years and will lock us into dirty energy for decades, hinged on an untested reappropriation to hydrogen gas distribution. This is NOT the future we need and it flies in the face of the Commonwealth’s historic clean energy standards. From fueling toxic fracking, to destroying our shared waterways, to polluting majority Black neighborhoods, to leaking heat-­trapping methane, the pipelines would harm our communities and our climate every step of the way. We stopped the Atlantic Coast Pipeline – a HUGE victory – but the fight continues. Learn more >>

Dominion is proposing a massive new methane gas plant in Chesterfield near the James River, consisting of four new generators totaling 1000 MW of installed capacity. This would be the largest “peaker plant” in Virginia – that is, a plant that generally runs only when there is high demand. Learn more >>

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) reduces carbon emissions and provides vital funding for coastal resilience and energy efficiency. Youngkin’s scheme to withdraw from RGGI will take Virginia in the wrong direction. Learn more >>

Legislative campaigns are a project of our advocacy arm, CCAN Action Fund. 
For more on legislation and to help us pass historic climate policies on every level, click here. 

Transportation is vital. High-quality, reliable public transit service is essential for Virginians to access their jobs, schooling, healthcare, education, and shopping needs. Yet it’s often expensive and inaccessible in the places that need it most. And it’s Virginia’s biggest single source of greenhouse gases and other toxic pollutants. We believe that we can transform Virginia’s transit sector from a major cause of climate change to part of the solution, while improving social justice at the same time. It’s time to say YES to electric vehicles, especially large fleets. And it’s time to say YES to fostering communities where people can walk, ride free public transit and reduce the overall vehicle miles traveled. Learn more >

Virginia needs a lot of clean energy. Fast. But succumbing to pressure from fossil fuel-funded disinformation campaigns, numerous local governments have placed limits or outright bans. Meanwhile, utilities fight to keep rooftop solar unaffordable and prevent third party developers from building commercial-scale projects. We need solar everywhere we can to meet our clean energy needs and allow equitable access to cost-saving solar programs. We need clean energy for everyone! Learn more>>

The climate crisis is at our doorstep, and fossil fuel pollution is to blame. Virginians know flooding has become one of the most challenging policy issues facing our state, especially on the coast. The rising of ocean waters due to climate change, combined with the area’s sinking land, will cause as much as 7.5 feet of sea level rise by century’s end, according to the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences. Bigger, climate-fueled, storms also will prove to be a huge burden for local communities across Virginia. Learn more>>

Interested in getting more involved with the Chesapeake Climate Action Network? Looking for some help on how to get started?
Please fill out the form to request a one-on-one phone conversation with a CCAN organizer! We’ll follow up soon after!

What is an Organizer? CCAN organizers educate, agitate, and organize people in their regions to take action on climate justice issues. This enables us to think big, build sustained power, and win on transformative climate policy. The first step to organizing is building relationships. Please reach out to an organizer, they would love to learn more about you, your interests, and talk to you about you can get plugged into our impactful work.

 “Organizers challenge people to act on behalf of shared values and interests. They develop the relationships, understanding, and action that enable people to gain new understanding of their interests, new resources, and new capacity to use these resources on behalf of their interests.” 

Marshall Ganz, co-founder of the United Farmworkers of America

Read More Virginia Stories

Past Campaigns

In March 2020, we passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act! This bill will bring a 100% carbon-free electricity grid to Virginia and eliminates utility fossil fuel emissions. This will benefit Virginians through lower monthly utility bills, tens of thousands of new clean energy jobs, and cleaner air while tackling the Commonwealth’s contribution to climate change. Learn more >>

Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) called it their “Header Improvement Project” — a horribly misleading misnomer. CCAN called it the “Header Injustice Project,” and it was the next big pipeline fight in Virginia. The proposal was for three new gas pipelines, totaling 24 miles, and three new or expanded gas compressor stations from Northern Virginia, through the middle of the state, and to the shore in Hampton Roads.  Learn more>>

We need energy solutions and energy justice now. Virginians have the 10th highest electric bills in the nation and a higher electricity burden than the national average. Furthermore, Virginia communities need funding to protect our valuable coastal communities from sea level rise. But while the impacts of climate change are at our doorstep, so are the solutions. With the passage of the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act, Virginia will join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, to access millions of dollars to save our coasts and lower electricity bills for everyone. Learn more>>

In 2019, we worked with a power movement supported by more than 650 community, labor, faith, business, climate, and environmental groups from across Maryland to pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act. This bill requires 50% of Maryland’s electricity to comes from renewable sources by 2030, and sets the stage for a future powered by 100% clean, renewable electricity. Learn more >>

Offshore oil drilling would threaten Virginia’s coastal communities and fishing and tourism industries with devastating spills, while enabling more of the fossil fuel pollution causing climate change and rising sea levels. We want wind mills, not oil spills! After years of advocacy, in 2020, the Virginia General Assembly passed a bill banning offshore drilling off the coast of Virginia! Learn more>>

Want to Get Involved With CCAN in Virginia?