Fwd: General Assembly starts next week! 🏛️

[Jonathan Krall]

Hi All,

The Virginia general assembly starts this month and lasts through March. During these few short weeks, many bills are voted up or down. 

Virginia Interfaith Power & Light is doing weekly virtual meetings to provide updates on environmental issues, especially energy. Please see below.

Thanks!

 

Jonathan

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	General Assembly starts next week! 🏛️
Date:	2026-01-06 17:27
From:	"Virginia Interfaith Power & Light" <cont...@vaipl.org>
To:	"Dr. Jonathan Krall" <jona...@jonathankrall.net>

VAIPL Weekly Newsletter View in your browser

Newsletter - January 6, 2026

We collaborate among people of faith and conscience to grow healthy communities by advancing climate and environmental justice.

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"I swear I will not dishonor my soul with hatred, but offer myself humbly as a guardian of nature, as a healer of misery, as a messenger of wonder, as an architect of peace..." - Diane Ackerman

Highlight

General Assembly Action of the Week Calls The 2026 General Assembly session is almost here! With a new Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and House of Delegates, the 2026 session will be a major opportunity to advance climate and environmental justice.  Join VAIPL and faith communities across Virginia for our weekly General Assembly call ​​​​​every Monday from January 19th through March 16th. Each week's session will begin promptly at 6:30 PM and go until 7:00 PM. The Zoom link will be provided in the registration confirmation email.  During this 30-minute session, VAIPL will provide an update on the General Assembly session and report the status of bills supported and opposed by VAIPL and our coalition partners. There will also be opportunities to answer your questions and discuss upcoming advocacy opportunities. You can register by clicking the link below. We look forward to advocating alongside you during the 2026 session!  Register Here!

Upcoming Events

Day for ALL People Join Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and our partners at Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy on January 21, 2026, for Day For All People (DFAP) — our annual interfaith advocacy day!   People of faith and goodwill from across Virginia will gather in Richmond at Centenary United Methodist Church to meet with legislators and advocate for justice on key issues like environmental justice, affordable housing, health care, and higher education in prison.    This is a great opportunity to learn more about social justice here in Virginia while making an impact on our state laws! DFAP also provides time to meet fellow faithful advocates around the state, participate in workshops, and attend panels.    For more information and to register, click the link below! Register Here!

Thank you to our DFAP Sponsors

We are deeply grateful to our incredible sponsors for making Day for All People possible. Your support helps us bring communities together, amplify voices, and create meaningful change.

Student Day of Action Calling all students!    Join Virginia Interfaith Power & Light and our partners at Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy on February 12th, 2026, for our Student Day of Action (SDA) — our annual student interfaith advocacy day!   Students from across Virginia will gather in Richmond to meet with legislators and advocate for justice on key issues like environmental justice, climate change, affordable housing, labor protections, health care, and higher education in prison.    This is a great opportunity for students to learn more about social justice here in Virginia, experience the legislative process, make an impact on our state laws, and network with fellow student advocates. We will also offer workshop opportunities that dive deeper into some of our policy areas and develop skills students can take with them back to their campuses and beyond.    Students from all backgrounds and areas of study are welcome to attend! If you know of any students who would be interested, please share this information with them.    For more information and to register, click the link below! Register Here!

Take Action!

Tell the General Assembly to Protect the VCEA! We are very proud of the progress we've made together towards a clean energy future and a just transition here in Virginia. With your support, the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) has benefited families by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, lowering energy bills for rate payers, and creating energy jobs. Since its passage, this piece of legislation has been the subject of constant attacks by polluting industries and big business. Members of the General Assembly have attempted to gut the VCEA and halt our just transition to a clean energy economy where people and planet are the priority. If the VCEA gets repealed or weakened, Virginians will see higher utility bills and more greenhouse gas emissions that impact our health. In the 2026 Legislative Session, we will once again rise up to protect the VCEA from constant attacks by industries that profit from pollution and unaffordable energy bills. Sign on to our petition to the House and Senate leadership from both parties that demands they protect the VCEA and the progress we have made as a Commonwealth towards a clean energy economy that works for everyone. SIGN THE PETITION HERE!

Fight Corporate Greed: Protect Net Metering in Virginia! Dominion Energy is asking the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to lower the credit for customers who produce excess solar energy by 32%. Right now, Dominion Energy customers with solar panels can earn a credit when their home produces more energy than it needs through a program called net metering. This excess energy flows back to the grid to power your neighbors' homes, lowering energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions.  The current rate for this credit is a 1:1 market rate. For example, if you produce $50 of excess energy, you receive a $50 credit on your bill. However, Dominion wants to slash this rate by 32%, meaning you'd only get $34 if you produce $50 of excess energy.  This proposal is a scam! Net metering is an essential tool to make solar energy an affordable investment for ratepayers. Undercutting this cost savings program while their CEO receives a multi-million dollar bonus is a blatant case of corporate greed. Stand up for net metering by submitting comments to the SCC! We defeated a proposal earlier this year from Appalachian Power (ApCo) that would have slashed net metering rates — we can do it again. Learn more and submit comments by clicking the link below provided by our friends at Solar United Neighbors. Learn more and submit comments here!

Two ways to support our work

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Become a Climate Connector

Virginia Interfaith Power & Light is having a profound impact in communities and congregations across the state. But we can only continue to make a difference with your help. Join us! Virginia Interfaith Power and Light is a 501(c)(3) and is registered with the Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 1163, Richmond, VA 23209. You can write to this Department for all relevant financial statements and procedures regarding the solicitation of contributions. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

It's great to be working with you! STAFF Rev. Dr. Faith B. Harris, Executive Director Connor Eppley, Communications Manager Laticia Lee, Faith Outreach Coordinator Glenn Allen Pannell, Cool the City Organizer Margaret McLeod Cain, Outreach Coordinator, Southside Cynthia Hayes, Outreach Coordinator, Middle Peninsula Rev. Shereka V. Hockaday, Administrative and Office Manager BOARD Aliya Farooq, Richmond (Chair) Steven Fischbach, ESQ, Richmond Matthew Carter, Charlottesville Dr. Laura Hartman, Roanoke, (Secretary) Dr. Rachel Maddux, Richmond (Treasurer) Sonal V. Iyer, Richmond Renada Harris, Ashland Hope Cupit, Roanoke Albert Walker, Richmond

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