My name is Sarah Bucci, and I'm the Campaign Director with Environment Virginia, here from Richmond 

speaking on behalf of myself and our 25,000 members and supporters. 

In Virginia, the consequences of global warming are clear and present. The recent National Climate 

Assessment pointed to the impacts we're already feeling from more extreme and severe storms, 

agricultural troubles to rising seas and storm surging putting our coastal communities at risk. Hampton 

Roads is the second most vulnerable region in the national to sea-level rise- something everyone from 

city and regional planners, the US military operating in the region to local residents can tell you. And 

increased temperatures also mean more unhealthy air days that risk more asthma attacks and 

respiratory disease. Scientists are clear that unless we act now to reduce the pollution fueling global 

warming- most important carbon dioxide- things will only get worse for our children and we won't be 

able to turn back. 

We believe the Clean Power Plan is an important step and support the finalization of the strongest 

possible plan to cut carbon pollution. 

Power plants are the largest single source of U.S. carbon pollution. While we must move quickly to limit 

carbon from all sources, the power plants is our best opportunity in the near term to achieve dramatic 

reductions in carbon. 

Virginia's power plants contribute to 34.4 percent of its carbon pollution, and the plan would clean up 

our power plants by 31 percent. Environment Virginia applauds EPA for responding to the urgent need 

to protect public health and our children's future by reigning in unlimited carbon pollution. And we are 

not alone. Over 150,000 public comments from Virginians have been submitted to EPA in support of 

carbon pollution limits to date. Over 60 local and state elected officials in Virginia have signed a letter in 

support of the President's Climate Action Plan and over 100 small business owners have endorsed the 

plan as well. Public opinion polling shows that a majority of Virginians support the EPA taking action to 

limit carbon pollution from power plants. 

So, the people are behind you. And given the scope of the problem, and the urgent need to act, we can 

do even better by harnessing the power of clean energy. 

Virginia, and the utilities operating here, are far behind other neighboring states in developing a clean 

energy industry. North Carolina has installed 335 MW of solar power while Virginia has only about 15-18 

MW of solar, installed mostly by homeowners, colleges, the military, a few towns and businesses. But 

we have huge potential to meet and exceed the goals laid out in the proposed Clean Power Plan through 

energy efficiency, solar power and our offshore wind resource. If the Wind Energy Area off the coast of 

Virginia beach were fully developed it could provide clean, pollution-free energy to over 700,000 homes. 

So can build to a future where ALL our electricity can come from the wind that blows off our coasts and 

the sun that shines on our rooftops every day. Our homes could be so efficient that with a solar panel on 

top, they produce more energy than they use. 

That's a future that Virginians deserve, and that's the future that the Clean Power Plan will move us 

toward. 

Thank you for your time 

Sarah Bucci 

Environment Virginia Campaign Director 

1011 E Main St, Suite 205 

Richmond, VA 23219 

804-716-7032