The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) set Virginia on a path to 100% zero-carbon electricity by 2050. It uses a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires investor-owned utilities like Dominion Energy to obtain increasing amounts of electricity from renewable energy resources.
SB120 declares waste coal — coal leftover from previous mining operations — to be a renewable resource.
No form of coal is either clean or renewable, and waste coal left in what are known as "GOB" piles is an especially toxic, dirty product.
A study conducted by the Appalachian School of Law finds that existing GOB piles can be disposed of or remediated in ways that do not undermine Virginia's transition to clean energy.
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Talking Points