The General Assembly of Virginia sought to reexamine the state's energy policies. Pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution No. 128 in 1973, the Assembly created the Commission to Study the Energy Crises. The Resolution noted the conflict between increasing energy demands and the Commonwealth's ability to provide that energy. The General Assembly directed the Commission to study the dimensions and consequences of the energy crisis, and to examine existing and future demands for energy-producing fuels in the Commonwealth. The Commission was also mandated to study the amounts and types of needed fuel supplies, the cost to future consumers of energy in Virginia, and the environmental consequences of extracting and utilizing such fuels.

In the course of their study, the Commission realized that the search for new and expanded sources of energy and the development and production of these sources was not keeping pace with growing consumption. This mismatch in supply and demand and all its related problems threatened to be long-term in duration. The energy problem warranted continued research and examination.

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 Virginia.

The General Assembly accepted these recommendations and passed Senate Joint Resolution No. 97. By this Resolution, the Commission was directed to study ways in which the state could take action on energy problems. House Joint Resolution No. 296, passed by the 1977 General Assembly, continued the Commission for the purposes of continuing to apprise the Governor, the General Assembly and the public of the changing state and national energy situation and recommending measures to alleviate present and future energy problems. (See Appendix A.)

The members of the present Commission who have served since 1973 are: Delegate C. Don Dunford, Chairman, Tazewell; Claiborne D. Gregory, Doswell; Delegate George W. Jones, Bon Air; Delegate Glenn B. McClanan, Virginia Beach; Delegate Lewis W. Parker, Jr., South Hill; Stanley Ragone, Richmond; and Eugene M. Scheel, Waterford. Present members appointed to serve on the Commission in subsequent years are Delegate James F. Almand, Arlington; Senator Charles J. Colgan, Manassas; Senator Virgil H. Goode, Jr., Rocky Mount; W. S. Kerr, Appomattox; Senator Madison E. Marye, Shawsville; and Frank T. Sutton, III, Richmond. The members elected Delegate Dunford to serve as Chairman in 1976.