Clean energy like solar, wind, and energy storage backed up by nuclear are the cheapest forms of energy available today. They are also protected from inflation and fluctuating fuel costs. Finally, carbon-free energy sources mitigate the effects of climate change - to continue pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is to invite further flooding and heat waves, which obviously have negative effects on cost and quality of living.
Clean energy brings non-offshorable jobs to Virginia, like solar installers, electricians, and wind turbine manufacturing and shipping. These jobs are well-paying, blue-collar jobs that can't be offshored because at the end of the day, installing and building all the solar and wind farms requires people on site. These jobs are safe, environmentally friendly, and not hazardous to one's health or the health of the surrounding communities.
Clean energy is pollution free, promoting good air quality and reducing environmental hazards. Coupled with strong job growth, deregulated housing, and reduced energy costs, clean energy makes Virginia a great place to live and work.
While different energy sources have different trade-offs, these trade-offs are well-known and well characterized. I would urge the Virginia Department of Energy to consider the cost curves of clean energy, which have presented compounding cost decreases year over year, and the obvious effects and implications of climate change, and that while not all energy sources are created the same, only some of them emit pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.