Background
State-level representatives are in-direct decision-makers. This means they have the power to make policy that could impact the solar project’s viability, but they are not directly involved in the existing permitting and approval process. Because of this, Axton Solar does not need to exert undue efforts on outreach to these individuals but should monitor them for reactions. State-level representatives outside of the context of decisionmaking can also play the role of a “grasstop” in local communities.
Delegate Leslie R. (Les) Adams (R-VA-16)
Delegate Adams has been a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2014. Adams is an attorney, having graduated from University of Richmond School of Law in 1999. Before that, he graduated from Liberty University in 1996.
Recently, Adams was accused of coordinating with energy lobbyists to submit a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in support of Mountain Valley Pipeline’s request for an extension of the project’s in-service date. While Adams may have a preference for fossil energy sources, he voted for HB1204 in the state legislature which prioritized procurement of renewable energy certificates (RECs) from renewable energy standard sources (RPS eligible sources) located within Virginia, indicating some support for Virginia-based clean energy development.
Committees: Courts of Justice, Privileges and Elections, Commerce and Energy
State Senator William M. Stanley (R-VA-20)
State Senator Stanley was first elected to the State Senate in 2011. Prior to being elected to the Senate, he was elected as Franklin County Republican Committee Chair. Outside the Senate, he is an attorney. Stanley received a B.S. degree from Hampden-Sydney College, and a J.D. from the District of Columbia School of Law. He was previously involved in the Paula Jones lawsuit in 1999 when he worked for Gilbert Davis.
Stanley previously championed legislation to allow schools with solar panels the option of selling excess electricity back to the grid. While this is a different issue than utility-scale and land use, this indicates the Stanley likely does not have ideological opposition to solar technology.
Committees: Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; Judiciary; and Local Government
State Senator Frank M. Ruff (R-VA-20)
State Senator Ruff was first elected to the State Senate in 2000. Prior to serving in the Senate, Ruff was a member of the House of Delegates from 1994-2000 and is a former member of the Mecklenburg County Board of Supervisors. He also previously ownered a furniture business.
Senator Ruff has a history of climate denial and has been publishing op-eds dismissing the science of global warming and calling into question the wisdom of pursuing renewable energy technologies, including sharing Prager U videos about wind and solar. In a 2021 piece, he claimed, “The dreamers are perfectly happy with situating solar panels all over the landscape of rural Virginia. Solar power might be a portion of our needs for electrical power, but it is more expensive. You will pay for it with higher utility bills and with taxes that subsidize solar power.”
Committees: Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; Finance and Appropriations; General Laws and Technology; and Priveleges and Elections
