Democratic Governor-Elects Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey champion energy policies that could spell bad news for the East Coast states, several energy policy experts told the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Spanberger and Sherrill’s campaigns did not respond to the DCNF’s multiple requests for comment.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) joins with local government representatives and climate and environmental activists after touring a new electric powered school bus while highlighting the benefits of recently passed federal infrastructure legislation August 23, 2022 in Culpeper, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee via Getty Images)
Several energy policy experts told the DCNF that Tuesday’s election results mean that New Jersey and Virginia will only continue to see energy cost increases and reliability challenges.
“The Biden administration’s rush to shut down conventional energy and replace it with wind and solar caused the most severe electricity price spikes in American history,” James Taylor, President of the Heartland Institute, told the DCNF. “Voters in New Jersey and Virginia chose to do the same thing all over again while expecting different results. They will be severely disappointed.”
Senior fellow at the Energy & Environment Legal Institute Steve Milloy told the DCNF that “Democrat wins in New Jersey and Virginia governors’ races mean that electricity prices will continue to spiral upwards thanks to funding from the ongoing Green New Scam.”
Spanberger’s campaign website notes that her energy policies will protect the environment while lowering energy costs. Campaign materials note that Spanberger seeks to “expand and incentivize the development and deployment of solar energy projects in commonsense locations such as abandoned mine sites, former industrial sites, rooftops, and parking lots, and locations where the reduction in energy costs would have an impact on the local community, such as schools and public buildings.”
The website also notes the governor-elect will encourage other emissions-free energy resources like nuclear and geothermal. However, some energy policy experts are concerned that Spanberger’s comments on natural gas and voiced support for the “long-term goals” of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) may mean that Virginia will pursue a rapid and expensive green energy transition under her leadership.
“Governor-elect Spanberger might have campaigned on energy independence, but will prioritize climate-first energy policies. This is a serious misreading of the energy abundance moment we’re in,” Director of Independent Women’s Center for Energy and Conservation Gabriella Hoffman told the DCNF. “Spanberger’s Affordable Energy Plan was heavy on flowery language but low on tangible specifics to bring down energy costs. Although she touted new nuclear fission, fusion energy, and geothermal, she prefers intermittent solar and offshore wind to new natural gas.” (RELATED: Politicians Want To Pump Breaks On Data Center Expansion As Energy Costs Soar)
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) speaks during an event with House Democrats and other climate activists to highlight the aspects of the Build Back Better Act that focus on combating climate change in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol on September 28, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images)
While Spanberger has said that she will allow for natural gas when needed, she also said in an interview that “we really need to be focused and sort of thinking carefully about the lifespan of those [natural gas] projects and whether indeed they are the most cost-effective solution.”
Natural gas is a major energy source in Virginia, and it imports most of the natural gas it uses from other states, according to data from Energy Information Administration (EIA). Virginia has also closed most of its coal plants and has set a goal for some major energy companies deliver electricity from 100% “renewable” sources by 2050 through the VCEA.
“Despite her so-called moderate veneer, Spanberger will strengthen — not roll back — the flawed and costly VCEA of 2020 to transition the Commonwealth to 100% renewables by 2050. She’ll put Virginia back into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) that’ll raise energy costs on low-income Virginians and drive out businesses that are too ‘carbon-intensive,’” Hoffman told the DCNF. “The Commonwealth, sadly, could see more premature retirements of reliable coal and natural gas power plants under the new administration.”
New Jersey shut down all its coal plants by 2022 and pursued aggressive green energy targets and is a part of the RGGI. Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy set a goal of 100% clean electricity by 2035, and the state is a net importer of energy, with one-fifth of its power supplied from generators in other states in 2023, according to data from the EIA.
“Democrats had a good night and won governorships in two states that have not voted for a Republican presidential candidate in decades, but Republicans should regroup and focus on next steps to tout their economic wins and plans for the future,” Republican Strategist Mark Bednar told the DCNF. “Look for Republican campaigns around the country to spend the next year tying Democrat candidates to Mayor-elect Mamdani’s policies, and when it comes to energy affordability, to his opposition to supporting the fossil fuel infrastructure American communities need to prosper.”
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