Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed a bill establishing a green bank in Virginia.

Senate Bill 729 was set to create the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank, to help finance clean energy projects across the state. The bill passed both General Assembly chambers with some bipartisan support.

Lee Francis, deputy director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, said not signing the bill is a missed opportunity for clean-energy investment.

"The biggest impact is those dollars go to other states," Francis pointed out. "Virginia has not taken full advantage of the federal dollars that are out there for clean energy. We did have a good solar announcement recently for 'Solar for All.' That's really been the first solidified program that we've funded here in the state."

Youngkin said he vetoed the bill because an amendment he drafted resolving conflicts between the Department of Energy and the green bank was not included in the final bill.

Francis noted the amendment also called for the General Assembly to vote on the plan again in 2025, which is why it was rejected. The Virginia League of Conservation Voters will host a webinar at 7 p.m. about the bill.

Although the bill did not pass, it could return next session. Francis feels the General Assembly can build off this bill by setting seed money aside for the green bank. He added the green bank bill would help Virginia develop a clean energy future.

"We are a state that has laws on the books to reach 100% clean energy and the more tools and mechanisms we can bring to Virginia to help meet those goals, I think, the better," Francis asserted. "This is a way that we can meet existing policies with new tools and do it in a way that's also going to be creating jobs and bringing investment to communities."

Across the country, 16 states and the District of Columbia have a total of 21 green banks, with Connecticut's being the first established in 2011.


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The City of Boston has been awarded nearly $10 million in federal funding to help build a Climate-Ready Workforce.

More than 1,000 people will receive job training in construction, wastewater management and more, to combat the growing threat of sea level rise.

Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, said a 21st-century workforce must be climate literate.

"If we're going to ensure that American workers can take advantage of the jobs that we're creating, then we have to be proactive about training folks," Raimondo asserted. "So they have the skills they need to get the jobs that are available."

The program is one of nine climate-related job programs nationwide funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and focused on economically-disadvantaged communities, which often face disproportionate impacts from climate change.

More than half of Massachusetts residents live in coastal communities, and state officials are planning for an additional 2.5 feet of water by 2050 if global greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced. Cities and towns will need a pipeline of skilled workers for flood mitigation efforts and infrastructure upgrades.

Frank Niepold, program manager, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said providing workers with vital wraparound services, like child care and health care, will help ensure they complete their training.

"This program is designed to really build that connection between the training and the employment in a much more explicit way," Niepold explained. "While also helping historically underserved people to get access to those good jobs."

The funding will be distributed through Boston's Office of Workforce Development to employers, colleges and community groups. Officials said training projects could begin as soon as Aug. 1.


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As New York and New Jersey transition to electric vehicles, consumers have mixed feelings about it.

Polls show fewer than half of New York drivers would buy an EV as their next vehicle. The number increases for New Jersey drivers, who feel phasing out gas-powered cars can improve air quality.

W. Reed Gusciora, mayor of Trenton, said more electric vehicles on the road mean cleaner air and fewer health issues.

"Families are suffering from higher rates of asthma and heart disease, and other health issues directly linked to air pollution," Gusciora pointed out. "The transition to electric vehicles offer a lifeline significantly reducing the pollutants that compromise the air we breathe."

The city recently announced it has high levels of lead in the soil, which Gusciora attributes to air pollution. The American Lung Association ranks Mercer County, where Trenton is located, as one of the worst in the state for air quality.

Reports showed transitioning to EVs can reduce deaths in the state and create $36 billion in public health benefits.

New Jersey and New York are transitioning to renewable energy sources, predominantly offshore wind.

New Jersey Asm. Carol Murphy, D-Mount Laurel, said along with the jobs offshore wind creates, implementing it creates more sustainable transportation.

"Not only does offshore wind provide the jobs and the necessary health benefits that provide us to live not only on the shores," Murphy noted. "But in many of our communities once we see the impact of offshore wind being able to have on our vehicles, and be able to see the power that is going to generate."

Some studies showed electric vehicles can reduce pollution in environmental justice communities.

Kaleem Shabazz, a council member in Atlantic City, said the city is introducing measures to reduce the climate effects residents face.

"We are revamping our parking lots to have EV chargers," Shabazz outlined. "We purchased electric vehicles for our city fleet. We are working in conjunction with city government to do an audit on energy buildings in our city."


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State lawmakers are considering a bill which would require two public pension systems to pull about $15 billion in combined investments from the fossil-fuel industry by 2031.

Senate Bill 252 would affect the California Public Employee Retirement System, called CalPERS, and the California State Teachers' Retirement System, or CalSTRS.

Sen. Lena Gonzalez, D-Long Beach, a co-sponsor of the bill, said divestment is a moral imperative.

"We cannot leave our kids with climate risks," Gonzalez emphasized. "I see the impacts every day. I see the pollution in my neighborhood, the asthma and respiratory illnesses, all of it."

CalPERS' governing board opposes the measure, arguing its first responsibility is to maximize returns and the companies would find other, less socially conscious investors. Last November, CalPERS released a summary of a plan to move the portfolio toward net-zero by 2050, where carbon emissions from investments are evenly balanced with carbon reductions.

The bill has passed the state Senate and is now before the Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement.

Gonzalez argued it is fiscally irresponsible to invest pension funds in companies such as Exxon, Chevron, BP and ConocoPhillips, calling them some of the state's largest polluters.

"It's a volatile commodity," Gonzalez pointed out. "We know that it's also on its way to being divested across the globe. We don't want to leave pensioners with these stranded assets and horrible risks financially down the road."

Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Vermont are among the states already moving to divest their pension funds or are considering legislation to do so.


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