Gov. McDonnell to Sign Green Energy Legislation Today at ODU
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell will sign green energy legislation today at a 3:30 p.m. ceremony at Old Dominion University's Innovation Research Park Conference Center.
He will be joined by Secretary of Natural Resources Doug Domenech, members of the General Assembly, energy industry representatives and university officials. The event is open to the public.
View a live videostream of the signing here.
Old Dominion University is the lead institution in the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium (VCERC), which is one of the initiatives that will benefit from the bills signed at the event. Launched in 2007, VCERC's mission is to study alternative fuels and new means of energy production. In addition to ODU, members of the consortium are Virginia Tech, College of William and Mary, University of Virginia, and Norfolk State, Hampton, James Madison and Virginia Commonwealth universities.
The governor is slated to sign the following bills:
- HB 803 and SB 623, creating green jobs tax credits;
- HB 928, establishing the Virginia Universities Clean Energy Development and Economic Stimulus Foundation;
- HB 389 and SB 577, creating the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority;
- HB 1022, encouraging the use of wind energy by Virginia utilities;
- HB 533 and SB 112, allowing for the acceleration of the replacement of aging gas utility infrastructure; and
- HB 806, adding improvement of infrastructure such as refueling stations as a goal of the Alternative Fuels Revolving Fund.