Senator Chap Petersen Champions Alt. Energy Development in Virginia

Fairfax Senator 'Chap' Petersen (D-34th Dist.) will bring the message of alternative energy workforce development to the 2008 Energy Technology Summit on Monday, April 7 at UVA-Wise as the third morning speaker.

In the 2008 session of the Virginia General Assembly, Senator Petersen offered a measure to require that on July 1, 2020, and in subsequent years, 20% of the electric energy sold by each supplier to retail customers in the Commonwealth be generated from renewable generation energy sources and that the Secretary of Commerce and Trade be directed to develop incentives for renewable energy manufacturing in the coalfield region of Virginia. [Video]

While the robust Senator's bill was not reported to the floor of the Senate, the proxy-energy measure did gain the interest of the state's environmental community, according to Greg Edwards at the Richmond Times Dispatch. The Southwestern Virginia Technology Council took note of his bill because of the coalfield workforce provision. [Video]

Mountain Empire Community College's Vice-President of Academic and Student Services, Richard Phillips, will introduce the State Senator for his remarks to the Energy Technology Summit member-participants.