~ New name for team leading Commonwealth’s transition to clean economy ~
Effective October 1, 2021, the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is now the Virginia Department of Energy (Virginia Energy), Governor Ralph Northam announced. This name change is a result of the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, which established a mandatory renewable portfolio standard to achieve 30% renewable energy by 2030, a mandatory energy efficiency resource standard, and the path to a carbon-free electric grid by 2045. After a reorganization in January 2021, Virginia Energy will now focus more heavily on clean energy, increasing efforts related to repurposing previously mined sites.
“Virginia is all-in on clean energy,” said Governor Northam. “We’ve passed one of the most sweeping clean energy laws in the country, and we are transitioning our electric grid to 100 percent renewable energy. These are exciting changes, and they mean new jobs, new investment, cleaner air, and a stronger economy.”
For more, see the full press release issued by the Office of the Governor.
