On Monday, the House of Delegates and Senate voted and approved a new compromise budget proposal for the biennium. Now, the proposal is on the Governor’s desk where the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office have only a few days remaining to finalize the budget.

The recently proposed compromise conference budget contains many missed opportunities for Virginia’s environment and communities. Virginia Conservation Network urges immediate action on many of these missed opportunities:

Menhaden School. Image Credit: Nathan Kensigner.

This year marks the third year in a row since the state developed a study plan with Omega Protein, conservationists, and academics to study the Chesapeake Bay’s Atlantic menhaden population. This conference budget again fails to include much-needed funding for menhaden research, which is critical for understanding the menhaden population in the Bay and the impacts of industrial factory fishing.

We respectfully ask that you provide additional funding to study this critical forage fish species.

Oak Hill in Loudoun County, Virginia. Image Credit: Hugh Kenny, Piedmont Environmental Council.

The conference budget again fails to include the creation of a new Virginia State Park at Oak Hill. As the home of President James Monroe, Oak Hill provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to expand public access and outdoor recreation in Northern Virginia, protect an invaluable historical site, and support local and state economies.

We respectfully ask that you amend the conference budget to acquire and authorize Oak Hill State Park as Virginia’s next state park. This amendment will have no impact on the balance of the budget, and it requires no General Fund dollars as the property already has dedicated funding, further simplifying the process to accept Oak Hill as a new state park.

Oceanfront Waves in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Image Credit: Kristin West.

The conference budget diverts funds earned from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) that would have been used to keep Virginians safe from flooding and extreme weather and to lower energy bills for the most vulnerable Virginians through low income energy efficiency projects to a rebate program.

A comprehensive approach to improve the effectiveness and policy objectives of RGGI is needed. Time is needed to consider options and implement a thoughtful approach that will protect communities facing flood risk across Virginia and weatherize low-income households facing high energy bills. Virginia’s RGGI program must incentivize clean energy investments and mitigate the impacts of climate change today.

Gainesville Data Center in Prince William County, Virginia. Image Credit: Hugh Kenny, Piedmont Environmental Council.

The conference budget lacks adequate environmental standards for data centers. The previous House budget proposal required data centers to meet a range of environmental standards to qualify for the sales and use tax exemption.

Data centers have significant impacts on nearby communities, including toxic air pollution from onsite diesel generators and high water consumption. Disadvantaged communities have for far too long borne the brunt of environmental harms and the cumulative impacts of industries being sited near them.

Decisionmakers must protect Virginia’s residents and natural resources from the myriad of impacts driven by the data center industry.

Dominion Energy Building in Richmond, Virginia. Image Credit: Jaime Trejo-Angeles.

The conference budget does nothing to address the recently proposed acquisition of Dominion Energy by NextEra Energy. The current six-month timeline for the State Corporation Commission to review the case is not adequate to address the scale and complexity of this transaction. The statutory standard governing that review could also be improved to best serve the interests of Virginia’s citizens.

An extension and improvement on the review standard would further ensure a fair and deliberate process reflecting the standard of care that Virginians deserve.