Virginia Alliance for a Better Renewable Energy System

The Virginia Alliance for a Better Renewable Energy System (VABRES) is a campaign for more measures at the state level that incentivize the production and use of green, renewable energy. The coalition behind this campaign consists of business and non-profit interests that recognize there are both strong economic motives and environmental reasons for supporting the growth of a renewable energy industry in Virginia. A mandatory RES is not the only piece of legislation which to encourages such industry. Tax and manufacturing credits, credit trading systems, rate-change allowances and other mechanisms have been successfully used in other states. VABRES seeks to educate both legislators and the public on how such measures can be incorporated here to promote the creation of green energy jobs and protect our industrial base by providing new markets for the use of in-state resources to provide for our future energy needs.

Some of the measures we have investigated and support:

• The creation of a Virginia renewable energy resource tax, similar to the Virginia coal tax of $1/MW to companies who use Virginia resources to produce green energy;
• A manufacturing tax credit for Virginia-based companies who are building the turbines, blades, PV panels, boilers, and other components of renewable energy systems;
• A pass-through allowance on their rates for utilities who purchase Virginia renewable energy, so that they can make a reasonable profit from supporting this industry by using the power produced by it;
• The creation of thermal energy credits to encourage better fuel efficiencies through the promotion of combined heat and power systems.

In addition to forming the backbone of this campaign, VABRES members also engage in economic research to provide a factual background for the measures encouraged. These are published as White Papers, and distributed to the public and to legislators, so that they can make better informed decisions as to which measures Virginia should adopt in order to get this new industry off the ground. The first such White Paper was Public Policy Virginia's, Virginia Rate Impact Study, which can be downloaded here.

The VABRES coalition is open to any non-profits, companies or other organizations with a vested interest in promoting a renewable energy industry in the Commonwealth. In addition to PPV, our current members include Apex Wind, Continuum Solar, Environment VA, Old Mill Power Co., The Reiley Group, The Sierra Club-Virginia Chapter, The Timmons Group, and the Virginia Conservation Network. To find out more about joining VABRES, please contact Al Weed at aweed@ppvir.org.