SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
in Tidewater
Virginia's power grid has changed a lot lately, and Tidewater has experienced those changes firsthand. Over the past several years, the Commonwealth has ramped up efforts to support clean energy production in an effort to combat climate change and address our shrinking carbon-based energy economy. As a result the entire tidewater region has witnessed an influx of clean energy projects such as solar farms, offshore wind turbines, and nuclear reactors.
We at Tidewater 4 Clean Energy support local clean energy projects because of the ways in which they serve our environment, economy, and way of life.
Benefits to Our Local Environment:
• The effects of climate change put Virginia’s coastal communities and Tidewater in particular at serious risk. Rising sea levels, severe weather events, and higher water temperatures pose an existential threat to our local ecology. Clean energy projects serve to protect our community by curbing the effects of climate change.
• Clean energy projects like solar farms preserve our natural environment by preventing land from being used for industrial uses, commercial and residential development, and even certain damaging agricultural practices.
Benefits to Our Economy:
• Clean energy projects such as our many solar farms create thousands of jobs and generate millions of dollars in tax revenue for Tidewater’s essential services and educational institutions.
• On and offsite investments during the construction phases of these projects help our local businesses and put money into our pockets.
• In a time where more and more people and businesses are moving to big cities, clean energy developments help retain existing local businesses and attract new ones by allowing them to follow through on their commitments to consume 100% renewable energy.
• By curbing the effects of climate change, clean energy projects will result in higher property values and the retention of businesses both big and small.
• Clean energy projects provide consistent income for the landowners providing acreage for these projects.
Benefits to Our Way of Life: 
• The rural character of our county is important to us. Although clean energy projects like solar farms may temporarily change the way some of our land looks, the health of that land is maintained over the lifespan of the project and can be restored to its original use once the project is decommissioned. This same is not true for industrial, commercial, and residential uses.
• Some of our smaller communities in the area are struggling to make ends meet and fear being left behind by a modern economy. Clean energy projects in Tidewater are an opportunity to become regional leaders in a profitable and growing industry and keep our way of life intact.
• Our rights as landowners are critical to our way of life and their sanctity is one of the reasons we choose to live here. Clean energy projects like solar farms are an exercise in preserving landowner rights. On the flip side, obstructing these projects in our community tramples on those rights and sets the precedent that other people can dictate what I do with my land.
• To preserve the American way of life, we need to produce our own energy right here at home. Today we are completely reliant on foreign energy to keep our lights on. Not only is that a national security risk, but we should be investing that money in our country by producing energy domestically. Clean energy projects in Tidewater are a step towards American energy independence because they allow us to produce energy right here in our community and capture the profits.