RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is announcing a new public-private partnership on solar power.
The governor said at a news conference Wednesday that the state plans to buy electricity produced from a proposed Dominion Virginia Power 20-megawatt solar plant, with Microsoft offsetting the extra cost associated with solar energy.
Microsoft representative Jim Hanna says the company is willing to pay an undisclosed amount as part of the company's commitment to clean energy.
McAuliffe touted the arrangement as a big step forward for solar power in Virginia, which gets virtually none of its power from solar energy. The proposed plant would produce the equivalent of enough power to serve 5,000 homes.
But environmentalists call Wednesday's announcement a symbolic gesture, saying Virginia needs to move faster in developing solar energy.
