As a Virginia resident and ratepayer, I urge the Department of Mines, Minerals, and Energy to prioritize distributed renewable energy in the update of Virginia’s State Energy Plan.

Our current electric grid is outdated, vulnerable to extreme weather events, and inadequate to meet our state’s energy challenges and to take advantage of the clean energy revolution. Instead of a centralized and static system, Virginia’s electric grid should be a two-way, democratic energy network with solar as the cornerstone that builds resilient, local power into our communities and gives consumers the choice to benefit from their own energy production.

Due to advancing solar and storage technology and declining costs, it’s clear that the key to the modern grid will be distributed rooftop solar coupled with battery storage and electric vehicles. Instead of relying on energy generated hundreds of miles away and transmitted through vulnerable infrastructure, solar plus storage allows us to power our grid safely with a dependable and affordable fuel supply that generates economic benefits and jobs throughout the Commonwealth.

Thank you for planning wisely for Virginia’s energy future.