RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Gov. Terry McAuliffe is stressing energy efficiency throughout Virginia state government. The Democrat signed an executive order on Thursday to reduce the energy footprint of state government, and named a chief energy officer to oversee the effort. McAuliffe has made energy efficiency a cornerstone of his four-year energy plan released this month. The executive order instructs executive branch agencies, authorities and departments to actively pursue energy efficiencies. The order extends to higher education, as well. In issuing the order, McAuliffe singled out the Department of Motor Vehicles as an example. He said the DMV has achieved annual energy savings of $284,000 through a program that partners state agencies with private sector vendors to reduce energy use.
