Virginia’s Paid Family Medical Leave Act Would be Among the Most Expansive and Expensive in the Country
Governor Abigail Spanberger campaigned on a promise to sign “paid family and medical leave” when it reaches her desk. But popular vote-getting concepts often ignore the damaging impact such policies have once they are implemented. Virginia’s proposed paid family and medical leave program (SB2)/(HB1207) is a case study in how expansive design choices can turn a popular benefit idea […]
Revenue-Hungry Democrats Give Themselves a Buffet of Tax Increase Choices for 2026
Governor Abigail Spanberger so far is no more clear on her tax and spending priorities than Candidate Spanberger was, but her fellow Democrats in the General Assembly are laying out a smorgasbord of tax increase options for her. Would she like a major “tax the rich” approach? Start with Delegate Vivian Watt’s House Bill 979, pending in […]
A “Free” Heat Pump Conversion for Oil and Propane Customers, Paid for by Virginia Ratepayers
A free heat pump for thousands of Virginians who are now using oil or propane to heat their homes, paid for by Virginia’s general population of electricity ratepayers. That is the goal of legislation that passed its first hurdle in a House of Delegate subcommittee Tuesday on a bipartisan vote. House Bill 2 is the same as legislation vetoed last year by former Governor Glenn Youngkin (R). The language linked is a substitute adopted […]
Proposed Commission Would Expand Beyond Electricity to Oversee All Forms of Energy in Virginia
A legislative commission created in 2008 to oversee one narrow function of two electric utilities is about to expand its scope of oversight of all forms of energy in Virginia, including nuclear, coal, and natural gas. It will be the legislative counterpart – and counterweight – to the politically independent State Corporation Commission. The bill to […]
Congratulations to Governor Abigail Spanberger on Her Historic Inauguration — A Call for Collaboration and Principled Debate
For Immediate Release By the Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Date: January 17, 2026 Today, the Thomas Jefferson Institute congratulates Governor Abigail Spanberger on her historic inauguration as the 75th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia — and the first woman in the nearly 250-year history of the Commonwealth to hold this office. Her […]
“Affordability” is a Feel-Good Slogan that Ignores Difficult Economic Tradeoffs
“Affordability” has become the most powerful word in modern politics – and nowhere more than here in Virginia. Candidates promised “affordable housing,” “affordable health care,” “affordable energy,” and “affordable child care,” often without defining what affordability means or acknowledging the tradeoffs required to achieve it. Now in office, the progressives in the General Assembly have even crafted a slick video to show […]
Youngkin’s State of the Commonwealth Highlights Virginia’s Commonsense Renaissance
Governor Glenn Youngkin’s final State of the Commonwealth address last night offered more than a farewell, it served as an empirical rebuttal to the claim that conservative, pro-growth governance, like those supported by the Thomas Jefferson Institute, cannot deliver tangible results. By every meaningful metric — jobs, investment, education outcomes, revenue growth, and regulatory efficiency […]
The VCEA Renewable Certificate Mandate Reduces Energy Affordability
A key, but poorly understood, provision of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) is a requirement that Virginia’s two largest electric utilities must either generate or purchase a growing number of renewable energy certificates (RECs). Eventually their RECs must equal 100% of their non-nuclear generation. What are RECs and why do they matter to you? Put simply, […]
Dominion Describes Efforts to Limit Turbine Radar Interference
Dominion Energy Virginia’s team building its offshore wind facility spent years working with the U.S. Navy and the air defense agency NORAD on ways to mitigate the problems that would be caused by the 836-foot-tall turbines, reaching several agreements, the utility has told a federal court. The company – meaning ultimately the company’s customers – […]
Does Spending $62 Billion on Utility Batteries Lower Your Cost of Electricity? Of Course Not
The 2026 General Assembly is likely to amend the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) to greatly expand the construction of utility-scale batteries for our electric grid. Based on the current prices for Virginia battery installations, this may saddle ratepayers with $54 billion in new capital expenses over 20 years. The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (CEUR) […]