It is Time to End Northern Virginia’s Outdated and Unnecessary Vehicle Emissions Program
Since 1982, residents of these Northern Virginia counties: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park, have been subject to a mandatory vehicle emissions testing program, a policy enacted in 1982 under the 1970 Clean Air Act to combat significant regional air pollution. While Virginians outside of Northern […]
Poor Solar Energy Performance is More Evidence the VCEA is Failing
Every solar facility in Dominion Energy Virginia’s expanding fleet of silicone panels is failing to perform up to its initial energy promises, according to a State Corporation Commission staff analysis. In many cases the shortfalls are dramatic. A high confidence in the ability of solar power to replace Virginia’s dominant natural gas and coal electricity generators […]
Spanberger Proposal Would Undermine Local Economic Growth
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger wants voters to believe she’s a moderate. That’s understandable. At a time when the Democratic Party’s favorability is at 33 percent and with an avowed socialist as the party’s nominee in the most highly visible election in the nation, the smart money is for Democrats in Virginia to run far […]
Fate of Dominion Gas Plant Depends On Which Experts, Models the SCC Believes
The State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) decision on whether Dominion Energy can build a new natural gas-fired power plant will depend on which expert or set of experts it believes, and which of the many computer models that dominate the testimony it judges best predict Virginia’s energy future. Dominion has filed testimony to the SCC from […]
Conforming to Trump’s Tax Bill Would Save Virginians $1.4 Billion More
Should the 2026 Virginia General Assembly choose to conform state tax laws to the full set of new tax rules at the federal level, Virginia families and businesses might save as much at $1.4 billion annually. That is a fresh estimate from the Tax Foundation, which looked at the impact of full conformity in all 50 […]
Vision for Virginia 2025: Education Policy – Six Education Policy Positions for the Next Governor
Education is a top concern for voters in Virginia. As President Trump closes the Federal Department of Education, shifting funding and control to the states, the issues surrounding education policy are more important now than ever. Below is a look at the state of education in Virginia, the Thomas Jefferson Institute’s vision for education reform, and […]
Layoffs at Bloated Federal Agencies Versus the Impact of Private Sector Layoffs Caused by the Federal Government
When Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently laid off 1,350 employees as part of a broader restructuring effort, the media response was swift and emotional. Stories of tearful farewells, union outrage, and dramatic claims of “fascism” filled the airwaves. One would think these federal employees had lifetime appointments and that accountability or right-sizing government were foreign […]
Union Rules: Welcome to the Hotel California
One of the most treasured rights in America is the right to a secret ballot – the opportunity to vote in privacy, free from harassment. It’s what separates democratic societies and is a right that filters down to even our local Rotary Clubs and Chambers of Commerce. It is a right that should be guaranteed for […]
Ed Feulner (1941-2025): A National Leader with a Virginian Heart
In the spring of 1971, the U.S. Senate was set to debate and vote on continued government support of the supersonic transport (SST), with most conservatives opposing taxpayer funding in favor of private sector support. A few days after the vote, a well-researched study from an old-line “think tank” landed in Senators’ offices. Why hadn’t it […]
Dominion’s Gas-Dependent Energy Plan Neither Endorsed nor Rejected by SCC
The State Corporation Commission has judged Dominion Energy Virginia’s latest integrated resource plan (IRP) – the one with controversial proposals for additional use of natural gas— to be merely “legally sufficient.” In its final order issued July 15, the commission applied the term “reasonable” to only a few elements of Dominion’s 15-year roadmap on how it would meet the […]