Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks in Virginia Beach Friday, July 18, 2024 with Virginia Manufacturers Association Brett Vassey sitting to his left. (Charlie Paullin/Virginia Mercury)
Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin Friday leaned into his All-of-the-Above energy plan that calls for continued use of natural gas, despite scientists stating human use of fossil fuels is causing climate change’s increasingly intense storms.
“We need more gas. We need more solar and wind and we need nuclear and we are going to lead the nation here and that is going to be a wonderful thing to see,” Youngkin said. “I get frustrated by people who talk about ‘either-ors.’ Small minded people, in my mind, constantly drive us into the ‘either-or. We can either do this or do that.’ I firmly reject that.”
Youngkin’s comments came during a speech at the third annual Virginia Energy Summit, sponsored largely by gas companies, in Virginia Beach.
Before the event, Youngkin’s speech was presented to the public as an update to his energy plan, released in October 2022. State law dictates a new plan needs to be released every four years, with updates coming by Oct. 1 in the third year of a governor’s term. No formal update was provided at Friday’s event, but one is expected in the coming weeks.