Climate Fast Facts: Virginia

Clean Businesses (2007)	Clean Jobs (2007)	Clean Job Growth (1998-2007)	Overall Job Growth (1998-2007)	Jobs Lost (2008-2009)

1,446	16,907	6.0%	6.6%	106,300

Climate & Energy Resources

Latest Climate Science (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Global Warming and Virginia (National Wildlife Federation)
Energy By the Numbers- Virginia (World Resource Institute)
Cost of Delay (Environmental Defense Fund)
Meeting the International Clean Energy and Climate Change Challenges (The White House)

Jobs

The clean energy economy is flourishing (job growth of 6%) in Virginia, with renewable energy and energy efficiency projects popping up throughout the state. A $150 billion clean energy investment across the country would bring 45,000 jobs and about $3.9 billion investment to the state, reducing unemployment by 1.1 percent.

Clean- Energy Investments Create Jobs in Virginia (Center for American Progress/PERI)
Virginia: Green Prosperity and Poverty Reduction (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Clean Energy Jobs in Virginia (Environmental Defense Fund)
Clean Energy and Climate Policies Lead to Economic Growth in Virginia (Environmental Entrepreneurs)

Opportunity

Committing to a 30 percent growth in solar in the United States would bring $526 million investment to Virginia. The state could see 3,386 jobs manufacturing wind turbines and $1.13 billion investment in the wind industry alone if 50,000 MW of new wind energy is created at the national level.

ACES Funding for Efficiency Investments-VA (Environment Northeast)

Southeast Energy Opportunities: Renewable Energy Opportunities in Virginia (World Resource Institute, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

Charting a New Path for Virginia’s Electricity Generation and Use (National Wildlife Federation)
The Clean Energy Economy: Virginia (Pew Environment Group)
Energy Efficiency Program Impacts and Policies in the Southeast (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)
The 2009 Report on the Future of The South (Southern Growth Policy Board)
Renewable Energy Works: Virginia

Cut Costs

The average family in Virginia would save $5.29 per month on their energy bills and $16.17 per month on vehicle fuel costs if the American Clean Energy and Security Act was enacted.

Climate Bill Cuts Electricity Bills (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Climate-Protection Policies Cut Fuel Bills (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Summary of Competitiveness Provisions in ACES (Center for Clean Air Policy)
Analysis of Allowances to States, Energy Consumers Under HR 2454 (World Resources Institute)

Southeast Energy Opportunities: Water and Watts in Virginia (World Resources Institute, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

Carbon Cap Critics Predict Healthy Economy in Virginia under Cap-and-Trade (PERI/UMASS)
Clean Energy, Green Jobs: A National Renewable Electricity Standard Will Boost the Economy and Protect the Environment (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Climate Consequences

Virginia’s coast has been identified as the second most vulnerable region to climate consequences in the entire country, behind only New Orleans. Sea level rise, extreme rainfall with flooding, tropical storms, heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and degraded water quality will all threaten the state of Virginia if climate change goes unchecked.

Human Health Impacts of Global Warming on Virginia (Pew Center)
More Variable and Uncertain Water Supply: Global Warming’s Wake-Up Call for the Southeastern United States (National Wildlife Federation)
Global Climate Change Impacts on the U.S.: Southeast Assessment (Union of Concerned Scientists)

Don't Rig Our Coastal Economy: The Threat from Offshore Drilling (Sierra Club)

Hotter Fields, Lower Yields: Global Warming's Impact on Agriculture (Environment America)
A Preliminary Analysis of the Effects of HR 2454 on U.S. Agriculture (USDA)

Climate Change in the United States: The Prohibitive Costs of Inaction (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Exposed: Social Vulnerability and Climate Change in the U.S. Southeast (Oxfam America)

State Action

While Congress debates climate and energy legislation on the Hill, Virginia published a climate action plan, has set a renewable energy goal of 12% of 2007 sales by 2020, set Energy Efficiency Resource Standards, and set an emission's target of 30% below BAU by 2025.