McClellan: Wheeler ‘would have sent exactly the wrong message to clean energy job creators’

RICHMOND, Va. – Today, Sen. Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond) voted to reject Andrew Wheeler’s nomination as Virginia’s next Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources. Wheeler’s nomination was defeated in a 21-19 vote. 

Under the Trump Administration as EPA administrator, Wheeler repealed numerous environmental protections, advocated for cutting Chesapeake Bay cleanup funding by 90%, and signed a rule to overturn President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. 

“Under the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Virginia has moved from the bottom of the pack to become a national leader in addressing climate change and creating clean energy jobs,” Sen. McClellan said. “The confirmation of Andrew Wheeler would reverse this progress and send exactly the wrong message to clean energy job creators. Mr. Wheeler has a long record of undermining climate protections and the clean energy economy. I’m proud to join my Senate colleagues in voting against this nomination, and voting to move Virginia forward in making progress on clean energy and climate change.” 

McClellan has been a champion for clean energy and climate action in the Virginia legislature. She was the chief Senate patron of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), which made Virginia the first southern state with a 100 percent clean electricity standard. McClellan was also the Senate patron of the Solar Freedom Act, a law to increase electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and the Pipeline Accountability, Oversight, and Protection of Virginia’s Water Act. McClellan was chief co-patron of the Virginia Clean Car Standard., 

Since the VCEA’s passage in 2020, Virginia is now ranked in the top 5 states for solar energy installation, and Virginia has brought in thousands of new clean energy jobs, including 300 offshore wind turbine blade manufacturing jobs coming to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal. According to Advanced Energy Economy, Virginia has more than 93,000 clean energy jobs and is expected to see up to an 8 percent job growth in the sector.