The "energy crisis" of the winter of 1973-1974 brought into sharp focus the United States' mounting problems with the production and conservation of energy resources. The domestic supply of usable energy resources could not meet the tremendous demand and imported resources no longer promised availability of energy at low cost. It became evident that a reevaluation of national and statewide policies and priorities with respect to energy was necessary.

The General Assembly of Virginia responded to this challenge by creating the Commission to Study the Energy Crisis pursuant to S.J.R. No. 128 in 1973.

In the course of their study, the Commission realized that despite the disappearance of long lines at the gasoline stations, the energy outlook in America was growing worse, not better. The search for new and expanded sources of energy and the development and production of these sources was simply not keeping pace with the growing consumption. This mismatch in supply and demand and all its related problems threatened to be long-term in duration.

Therefore, the Commission, in addition to submitting legislation on conservation of existing energy supplies and development of new recovery means for existing natural resources, recommended in 1975 that the Commission's study be continued, that their name be changed to the Energy Study Commission and that their focus be shifted to the formulation of long range energy objectives for the State of Virginia. The directives were set out in S.J.R. No. 97 as passed by the 1975 General Assembly.