Cardinal News: (Opinion) Virginia’s Energy Future Can’t Wait. We Need Nuclear and Clean Gas Now

The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and its admirable goals of environmental protection and reduced carbon emissions are no longer enough to address the rapid rise in energy demand coming from artificial intelligence and the data centers that power it. Currently, Virginia is the nation’s largest importer of energy – mostly from coal-burning sources – which already undermines the goal of reduced carbon emissions. If we want to meet the goals of the VCEA and still meet future power demands, then Virginia must produce more power at home, and fast.

But this will require more power to be produced beyond just renewable energy sources. Nuclear energy already produces 32% of Virginia’s energy and more will be needed to sustain reliable power production. Furter, clean gas-powered plants with carbon capture systems can also provide reliable power while also reducing Virginia’s carbon footprint. Overall, the members of the General Assembly cannot treat Virginia’s looming energy crisis as an ideological battle, but as an engineering challenge that requires practical solutions to keep Virginia’s economy competitive. Read more here.