Government/Politics: TERRY KILGORE
HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER, VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES, GATE CITY
Published
First elected in 1993, Republican Del. Kilgore is part of the new group of House of Delegates leadership, serving as both majority leader and vice chair of the Commerce and Energy Committee.
Conservatives for a Clean Energy Future named the Southwest Virginia native a “champion” in 2018, in part for his work on the Grid Transformation Security Act, which created incentives for utility companies to invest in renewable and efficient energy.
This session, Kilgore’s bill to withdraw the state from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (a cap and trade program for fossil fuel companies) was killed in a Senate committee.
Replacing the coal industry in his local economy has been a primary goal for Kilgore, who participates in the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and helped launch InvestSWVA, a marketing campaign to attract businesses to Southwest Virginia.
He also made multiple trips to Atlanta to help persuade the CEO of internet provider EarthLink to bring its new $5.4 million customer service support center to Norton. Announced last year, the deal is expected to create 285 jobs.
