Energy and Environment

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the largest threats to our health, economy, and national security. Sen. Warner has worked in the Senate to address this growing danger, supporting legislation like the Clean Economy Act, which sets a 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions, and has broad support from labor, environmental, and public health groups. 

Investments in Renewable Energy

Sen. Warner supports investing in clean, renewable sources of energy, including wind and solar. During his time in the Senate, he pushed for investment in offshore wind projects along Virginia’s coasts, some of which were approved by the Department of Energy (DOE) in 2014. Virginia is ripe with opportunities for offshore wind — not only because of its ideal geography, but because the Commonwealth houses the capability and technical expertise to supply the parts needed to push these projects forward. Clean energy not only benefits our environment, it provides good jobs for hardworking Virginians.

National Parks & Public Lands 

For more than three years, Sen. Warner fought to get some relief to national parks in the Commonwealth and across the country. Many of our parks haven’t gotten the money they need to be maintained for years. That translates into more than $12 billion dollars in maintenance that needs to be done— with $1.1 billion of that in Virginia alone. Shenandoah National Park, one of the Commonwealth’s natural treasures, has a backlog of over $88 million in deferred maintenance. This summer, Sen. Warner’s legislation, The Great American Outdoors Act, was signed into law and will help reduce that backlog and get folks back in our parks while supporting 100,000 jobs across the country — including 10,000 jobs in Virginia alone.

This bill also includes full, permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). This fund was established in 1964 to protect our country’s natural beauty and water resources, and preserve our cultural heritage sites.

Offshore Drilling

Communities up and down Virginia’s coast have made clear that offshore drilling poses a threat to their communities. When the Trump administration announced their offshore drilling plan, Sen. Warner rushed to bring together his colleagues from both sides of the aisle to oppose any new drilling. Drilling off Virginia’s eastern shore would be disruptive to the fragile natural ecosystem, threaten important Naval operations, stymy the work of NASA at Wallops Island, and cause outdoor recreation and aquaculture to suffer. Sen. Warner will continue to stand up against expanded drilling proposals in the Senate to protect Virginia’s natural beauty and outdoor tourism industries.