Virginia's 2026 Energy Plan Faces Critics Over Cost and Reliability

Governor Abigail Spanberger unveiled a 2026 energy strategy that pledges net-zero electricity by 2050, lower bills and economic growth. Modeling by the administration indicates that adhering to the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative would cost about $422 billion through 2050, versus $295 billion without those mandates, leaving a $127 billion gap that would fall on ratepayers. The plan further inflates costs by adding a $285 billion social-cost-of-carbon and $145 billion in modeled health impacts, producing a total of $725 billion.

Opponents, including Sen. Mark Obenshain and House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, argue the assumptions are speculative and that the plan would require converting 277,000 acres of farmland and forest to utility-scale solar while depending on roughly 30% of power imports from the PJM grid. They also note that the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative has already raised household bills, with a proposed $13-per-month increase pending approval. Critics contend the plan prioritizes climate goals over the grid’s primary purpose of reliable, affordable electricity.