Arlington Needs Stronger Climate Action NOW!

Arlington County’s response to the unfolding climate crisis, as reflected in the FY 2024 Proposed Budget, appears to be a backtracking from its commitments made last year and fails to invest in efforts to drive rapid reduction in greenhouse gas emissions across our community. The overall budget for the Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) team, which is responsible for overseeing implementation of the Community Energy Plan, is being reduced by 8% and the second position for the new Office of Climate Coordination and Policy is set to be eliminated. 

While the proposed budget advances efforts to expand rooftop solar on County facilities, increase the EV fleet of sedans, and install public EV charging, it notably lacks funding to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions in County and private sector buildings and public transportation.

EcoAction Arlington is urging the County Board to support critical climate solutions by:

• Restoring the second position in the Climate Office and investing the $2.6 million in savings in electricity costs from its virtual power purchase agreement into climate actions.
• Ensuring that funds are available to support the transition to zero-emission ART buses as existing buses reach their end of life, and that the new ART Bus Operations and Maintenance Facility is operational.
• Prioritizing comprehensive building retrofit pilots targeted to low-to moderate-income households and underserved communities to improve energy efficiency; electrify heating, air conditioning and hot water systems and appliances; and install rooftop solar and EV-charging infrastructure.
• Developing programs to educate, engage, encourage, inspire, and assist the private sector and the public to meet our urgent climate goals.
• Embracing electrification and elimination of fossil fuel use as an essential climate action strategy for all County Government facilities as soon as opportunities arise. 

For more details on speaking at the public hearing on March 28 see Demystifying Speaking at the County Board.

For more information about the EcoAction Arlington FY24 budget position see our letter to the county board

Download a sample Letter to send to the county board

Help Defend a Key Virginia Clean Economy Initiative

The State Air Pollution Board (aka Air Board) at Governor Youngkin’s request, continues to move forward to illegally repeal Virginia’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a cap-and-trade program that requires power producers to pay for their carbon emissions and is intended to accelerate the move to renewable energy for electricity production. A repeal of RGGI is not in Virginia’s best interests because:

• Repeal is illegal–Virginia’s General Assembly mandated Virginia’s participation in RGGI in 2020 legislation and only the General Assembly can repeal the law.
• RGGI is already working for Virginian’s climate goals – since joining Virginia’s carbon emissions have steadily declined. 
• RGGI is good for health – a shift to clearer energy means less harmful air pollutants.
• RGGI is helping Virginians’ wallets – funds generated through RGGI are helping Virginia’s households and communities lower their energy costs through energy efficiency improvements and address recurrent flooding from increasingly frequent high-intensity storms.

The Air Pollution Control Board is accepting public comments through March 31 on its proposed regulation to remove Virginia from RGGI here. Let the Air Board know NOW that you oppose this illegal action to repeal Virginia’s participation in RGGI. RGGI is an important market-based mechanism that is increasing the supply of clean, secure renewable energy for electricity and benefitting Virginians.

See here for additional facts about RGGI and the Governor’s effort to repeal it.

The EcoAdvocate is compiled by the EcoAction Arlington Advocacy Committee

EcoAction Arlington | Elenor Hodges, Executive Director | 703-228-6427 | volunteer@ecoactionarlington.org | ecoactionarlington.org

EcoAction Arlington's mission is to advocate, educate, and act to create a sustainable community by improving our natural environment, encouraging environmentally-friendly behaviors, ensuring environmental justice, and addressing the climate crisis. The EcoAction Advocacy Committee engages in public discussion and promotes civic engagement among its members to influence government action to support its mission. EcoAction Arlington is a non-profit and non-partisan organization.