Abingdon is the latest to join the ranks of SolSmart designated Communities. The town received a Bronze designation noting that it is “solar ready”, creating a clear path for businesses and residents to go solar.

"Elizabeth Marshall of Weldon Cooper UVA and Planning Staff presented the council with information detailing how solar facilities operate along with incentives, environmental concerns and decommissioning." Suffolk News-Herald

"It took four years, but UVA Professors Andres Clarens, Bill Shobe and Scott Doney have come up with two basic conclusions on what must be done to save life on Earth."  Virginia Public Radio

Intern Irene Cox and the Energy Transition Initiative team "have crafted a report advising communities on the deal they should strike with developers – noting that decommissioning a large solar array could take months and cost more than a million dollars." Virginia Public Radio

"An environmental policy professor [Bill Shobe] explains how the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is helping Virginia lower its emissions amid a data center building spree that’s expected to drive a 38% increase in electricity use by 2035." Energy News Network

Cardinal News provides insight into solar energy takeaways for Southwest and Southside Virginia based on the Weldon Cooper Center's Solar Survey.

"Whatever the state decides to do, Bill Shobe notes we are already seeing a big benefit from our growing reliance on green energy.