On Saturday, January 6, two of FACS’ board members spoke at the Fairfax County General Assembly Delegation’s Pre-2018 Session Public Hearing at the Fairfax County Government Center. Eric Goplerud, FACS Board Chair, and Scott Peterson, FACS Board Secretary, addressed legislators in a public hearing, speaking out in support of mandatory renewable energy portfolios and energy efficiency standards. Read their full testimonies below.
Eric Goplerud, FACS Board Chair
Good morning. My name is Eric Goplerud, Chair of the Faith Alliance for climate Solutions. Two years ago, when I asked for your support for climate solutions, I represented 15 faith communities in Fairfax. Now, more than 50 Fairfax congregations are asking for your support, to give us tools to make positive changes for our community.
Climate change is real, it’s caused by burning fossil fuels, it’s impacting us right now, and we can do something about it – prevent things from getting worse and help communities adapt and strengthen our resilience.
We support the legislative agenda of the Sierra Club and the Virginia Conservation Network. Now, state action is more important than ever.
Withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Accord, suspension of the Clean Power Plan, dismantling Federal regulations for clean air, and cutting funding for climate change solution – these make you actions in Richmond critical.
Fairfax County is stepping up. Led by Chairman Bulova, Vice Chairman Gross, and Supervisor Foust, the County joined mayors in more than 300 cities in pledging to comply with the Paris Accord, and recommitting to cut greenhouse gases by 2% per year countywide and throughout the metro Washington region.
Fairfax County Public Schools, led by Board Chair Strauss, and Board member Hynes, committed to installing solar on schools and support the award winning Get2Green program.
But we need all to be working together to safeguard our children and our community from extreme weather and climate change. As a Dillon rule state, local solutions to energy efficiency, alternative energy and resiliency are limited. State leadership and legislation are essential.
There isn’t a single entity or individual responsible for implementing the Governor’s climate change task force’s plan. We need a cabinet level position responsible for climate change.
We need a strong renewable energy standard. Other states, Maryland committed to 40% renewable energy. Virginia not at all.
Require Dominion Energy to increase renewable energy and support energy efficiency investments and incentives to businesses and households.
NO NEW FRACKED GAS PIPELINES – Virginia does not need the capacity, and if the pipelines are approved, the pipelines carrying fracked gas, will increase ratepayers’ costs, lock in infrastructure for 40 years of greenhouse gases and derail growth of alternative energy in the state.
The big block to actively cutting greenhouse gases in Virginia and Fairfax – is Dominion Energy. This regulated monopoly is the largest donor to Virginia political campaigns. Senator Peterson sponsored a bill to forbid Dominion, a regulated monopoly, from donating to political campaigns. Many of the newly elected delegates pledged not to take Dominion money. But let’s keep monopoly money out of our government.
Again, the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions supports the legislative agenda of the Sierra Club and the Virginia Conservation Network. All of our faiths are grounded, in care for creation, stewardship for God’s green Earth. We ask you to give us the tools to be good neighbors. Thank you.
Scott Peterson, FACS Board Treasurer
My name is Scott Peterson. I am a resident of Vienna, and a member of the board of directors of Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. I also serve as executive director of Checks and Balances Project, an investigative watchdog.
I come before you today to congratulate those among you who have pledged to not take campaign contributions from Dominion Energy, and to encourage those of you who are contemplating not taking campaign contributions from Dominion Energy to do so.
Dominion is holding back progress when it comes to fostering clean energy and addressing climate change.
You probably know how our state ranks against North Carolina, Maryland and California. But even Ohio, with only a 2.5% renewables penetration is light-years ahead of Virginia.
Now Dominion can’t be blamed for wanting to protect its business. But that’s where you come in.
Two ways it could be done. One is to make our state’s renewable portfolio standard mandatory, rather than voluntary, as it is currently.
Mandatory renewable portfolio standards are used in DC and 29 states. They require a specific amount of renewable energy generation by a specific date.
In 2016 and 2017, there were 181 proposed changes to Renewable Portfolio Standard laws. But only two of the many efforts to repeal, reduce, or freeze mandates succeeded, and one of those was reversed.
Yet Virginia isn’t even in the game. Because our renewable portfolio standard is voluntary.
Secondly, I urge you to strengthen our energy efficiency standards. If we can retrofit our commercial buildings and existing housing stock to make them more energy efficient, we can create tens of thousands of good, middle-class jobs in Virginia. Jobs that can’t be outsourced. Jobs that can’t be automated. Jobs that don’t require advanced degrees.
In California, 70% of that state’s advanced energy economy jobs are in energy efficiency, Only 22% are in renewable energy.
A fully-implemented energy efficiency program in our state could generate 75,000 jobs.
There are powerful forces that want to maintain the lucrative status quo. But we’re talking about more middle-class jobs for Virginians. And we’re talking about a world that that will be far different if you, and all of us, don’t get very serious about addressing climate change.