Apex Clean Energy, Inc., is pleased to offer its support for the inclusion of onshore wind energy in the 2018 Virginia Energy Plan. 

Apex is a Virginia-based renewable energy company with extensive experience developing, constructing, and operating utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America. Apex shares the Commonwealth’s view that clean energy is an immense opportunity for the economy.   

Although Apex’s facilities to date have been built and are operating in other parts of the country, we are actively developing multiple wind and solar projects in the Commonwealth because we see the strong potential for renewables and the opportunity to invest in our home state of Virginia. Considering the amount of solar energy currently being permitted, it will be imperative that we utilize the complementary resource that wind energy can offer.

Onshore wind energy, in particular, represents a unique opportunity in the Commonwealth for many reasons. In addition to producing clean energy, these projects will provide a steady, long-term revenue stream to localities through property taxes, local spending, and job creation. Southwest Virginia is well positioned to benefit substantially from the economic development that comes with onshore wind facilities, just as eastern Virginia could benefit from offshore wind.

Unlike other renewable energy sources, such as solar, onshore wind does not receive a local property tax exemption here in the Commonwealth; thus it provides a much larger contribution to the county over the project’s life cycle. This influx of financial resources strengthens schools, infrastructure, emergency services, and many other government expenditures.

It is for these reasons that Apex Clean Energy, Inc., supports the inclusion of onshore wind in the 2018 Virginia Energy Plan. We hope that support for this resource can help bring these projects to fruition to provide clean energy and new economic development opportunities for Southwest Virginia.