Spanberger’s Radical Energy Agenda
On many occasions Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Abigail Spanberger has talked about her support for the Biden Administration’s environmental policies and the “importance of moving away from fossil fuels.” So, what does this really mean for the average Virginian family?
For the last democrat governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, this meant a complete abdication of Virginia’s control over its own energy usage to an unelected California Air Resources Board CARB) and the California emissions standards (The Clean Cars Bill). Northam and the democrats in the state legislature were able to tie Virginia to the California standards.
These standards banned the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035 and required 35% of all new car sales to be hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) by 2026. Currently Virginia has about 2% hybrid or EV vehicles on the road.
Current Republican Attorney General, and current candidate, Jason Miyares was able to get the standards thrown out in the Virginia Supreme Court, but only by a 5 to 4 margin.
Democrats’ Plan to Sell Virginia Out
Based on her campaign rhetoric, Spanberger and the democratic Candidate for Attorney General Jay Jones will work to restore the connection between the California Standards and Virginia, or in concert with a democratic general assembly, adopt all new Virginia standards, based on the California Models to make them more secure from intervention from the supreme court.
Spanberger has also pledged to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) which imposes carbon taxes on its member states for energy production. Governor Youngkin withdrew Virginia from this initiative, and Lieutenant Governor Winsome-Sears plans on maintaining that position.
According to the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy, in their September 6, 2025 newsletter, rejoining the RGGI will cost Virginia taxpayers about $500 million per year.
As with most Democrat “feel good” legislation, these laws are short sighted and negatively impact the working-class people in the state. They also increase importation of Virginia’s electrical energy generation requirements from other states, as well as outsourcing pollution to other countries around the world.
Republicans Fight for Virginia’s Energy Independence
Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Energy Plan released in October of 2022 vowed to repeal the California mandate, but the repeal was held up by Democrats in the Virginia Senate. Republican Gubernatorial Canditate Winsome-Sears working with a Republican General Assembly would work to finally implement Governor Youngkin’s plan and keep Virginia’s energy future in Virginia.
Everyone in Virginia can agree that having clean, reliable, low-cost energy is critical to the state’s economy and future, but the democratic candidates in the 2025 election want to abdicate its ability to develop new and innovative resolutions to our future problems, to California, a state with a proven track record of self-destruction.
Republicans Winsome-Sears for Governor, John Reid for Lieutenant Governor and Jason Miyares for Attorney General will work to keep Virginia voters in the driver’s seat when it comes to their energy future. Virginia also needs a strong Republican majority in the general assembly to work to sensibly meet the ever-growing needs of Virginians and their energy future.
Democrat Energy Plans – A Taxing Disaster
Mandating Expensive EVs
While the cost of EVs has come down, they are still far more expensive than their gas-powered counterparts. This additional cost will hit working-class and elderly Virginians the hardest. For example, the Hyundai Kona gas car averages $22,595 versus the Hyundai Kona Electric at $35,292, an upcharge of $12,697, or 56%. The Ford F-150 gas-powered truck averages $40,960, compared to the electric F-150 Lightning at $54,769, an increase of $13,809 or 34%.
Home upgrades to Feed the EV Obsessio
Purchasing often requires a home charging station. There are two levels of chargers for most home installations, the 120V model (Level 1) averages $1,000 to $1,700. The 240V model (Level 2) average cost is $1,200 to $2,000. Older or rural homes may need costly electrical upgrades, adding thousands more to the bill.
Multi-family Housing Nightmare
Landlords of multi-family units and low rent housing installation of charging stations will need a Level 3 charging station. Level 3 charging stations cost between $40,000 to $175,000 per unit. These costs will be passed on to the tenants including young families, minorities, and the elderly. Also troubling is the impact on condominium owners and apartment dwellers who do not have garages and usually park in the lots or streets near their homes. How will these people charge their vehicles? Public charging stations are slow, inconvenient, and create frustration for everyday Virginians.
Small Businesses Crushed by Costs
Small fleets will face astronomical expenses replacing vehicles and upgrading electrical infrastructure. A small fleet of 10 trucks could see costs over $150,000 — a prohibitive expense that will raise prices for consumers.
Expect California-style Brownouts
Most Virginians do not realize the state is a net importer of electricity. Adding hundreds of thousands of EV charging stations will strain the grid, increasing the likelihood of brownouts, blackouts, and rising energy costs.
The rush to convert to an all-EV operating system has effects not just here in Virginia but around the world.
EV Mandates: Hypocrisy on a Global Scale
Carbon Emission Abroad
EV production requires minerals like nickel, lithium, cobalt, cadmium, graphite. Mining and production already produce enormous carbon emissions, with global capacity expanding rapidly — potentially leading to 1.59 billion tons of CO₂ from future factories.
Third World Pollution and Exploitation
Mining raw materials contaminates air and water in countries without environmental regulation. The Democrats’ “green” revolution in Virginia contributes to environmental destruction elsewhere.
Insane Energy Demands
Replacing fossil fuels globally would require over 586,000 new power plants — a tenfold increase. Virginia, as a net electricity importer, lacks the land and resources to meet this goal.
Slave Labor Fuels the EV Dream
Reports reveal cobalt and other rare-earth minerals are mined under grinding, inhumane conditions in Congo and China. Workers use primitive tools in hazardous conditions, and local communities suffer severe environmental contamination.
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