WHEREAS, across Virginia, reliable, affordable, and clean energy is powering more homes and businesses than ever before; and

WHEREAS, clean energy is part of Virginia’s energy future, which includes generation from nuclear, pumped storage, onshore and offshore wind, solar, renewable natural gas, biomass, and hydrogen resources; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s North Anna Nuclear Generating Station and Surry Nuclear Power Plant produce nearly 3,600 megawatts of zero-emission baseload generation 24/7, 365 days a year; and

WHEREAS, Dominion Energy Virginia has released plans to deploy up to six small modular reactors, which would be among the first operational SMRs in the nation; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s Bath County Pumped Storage Station, which has a net generating capacity of 3,003 megawatts, is the second-largest hydroelectric pumped storage facility in the world; and

WHEREAS, the completion of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is expected in 2026, which would include a 2,600-megawatt wind farm; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has 2,725 megawatts of solar generation capacity as of September 2022; and

WHEREAS, Virginia has been making important investments in technologies to reduce methane emissions and, instead, harness organic resources to generate dispatchable energy; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth and the private sector have forged key partnerships to make Virginia a landing ground for emerging hydrogen generation and fuel cell technologies; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s energy future also includes significant investments in energy efficiency and energy storage technologies; and

WHEREAS, the clean energy sector is a growing part of the economy and has been a key driver of economic growth in Virginia in recent years, supporting over 197,000 solar, wind, and nuclear-focused jobs in 2022; and

WHEREAS, clean energy jobs cannot be outsourced due to the on-site nature of construction, installation, and maintenance; and

WHEREAS, clean energy jobs are inherently local and contribute to the growth of local economies; and

WHEREAS, individuals and organizations in Virginia are encouraged to support solutions that address America’s economic and energy needs in the 21^st century and implement the cleanest energy technologies available; and

WHEREAS, Virginia must come together in a whole-of-Commonwealth collaboration to assert American energy leadership and ensure low-cost reliable energy at home; and

WHEREAS, citizens are encouraged to visit the Virginia Department of Energy’s website to learn more about the benefits of reliable, affordable and clean energy in our community and celebrate Virginia’s leadership in energy innovation;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 25-29, 2023, as RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE, AND CLEAN ENERGY WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA and call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.