Climate change and clean energy jobs won't wait for Virginia, and Governor McAuliffe smartly announced last week that neither will he:
In response to the surprising Supreme Court stay of the Clean Power Plan last week, McAuliffe responded that his administration will continue to confidently forge ahead toward a Clean Power Plan that ensures a lower carbon future that grows Virginia's economy and makes the Commonwealth a clean energy leader.
McAuliffe appears to be confident that the Clean Power Plan will be upheld, and he should know: Virginia's own Attorney General is fighting to protect it from ongoing attacks by big polluters.
And McAuliffe is not alone in continuing his smart stride toward fulfilling his climate change promise and long-term commitment to deliver a clean energy economy: work will continue on the Clean Power Plan across the region, including in high-carbon states like Pennsylvania, which apparently also knows that it makes great sense to plan for a lower carbon future.
Those that will be on the front lines of reducing our largest source of harmful carbon pollution - electric utilities - are also forging ahead, confident in the knowledge that despite the distraction of a Supreme Court stay, planning for climate change makes business sense and that a lower-carbon future is here to stay.
So as McAuliffe continues his work writing the smartest possible State Plan, Virginians should be proud that there is a steady hand at the tiller, ready to face the challenging headwinds of climate change with resolve.