Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said he would emphasize tax incentives to encourage re newable energy. His “Business Plan for Virginia,“ announced yesterday at a news conference in Richmond, would establish a $100 million energy-independence revolving loan fund to retrofit homes with energy efficient equipment and take steps to reduce state government’s use of fossil fuels. McAuliffe said the economic decline would force him to phase in the loan fund.

While Democratic gubernatorial candidates await the coveted Virginia Legislative Black Caucus endorsement, Brian J. Moran’s campaign today is expecting the support of the caucus’s chairman and recently produced an automated call in Richmond from the former chairman. In Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones’ taped call for the campaign, he urged voters to support his friend as the next governor. Jones was chairman of the black caucus but left the legislature to take over as Richmond’s mayor Jan. 1.

IIn a recent sit-down with the Editorial staff of this newspaper, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe was asked for his thoughts on education. McAuliffe heaped praise on Gov. Tim Kaine’s efforts to expand pre-kindergarten. He advocated smaller class sizes in kindergarten through the third grade. Spending more money on the front end, he said, would save money in later years. He noted that teacher salaries in Virginia lag behind the national average, and suggested higher pay—along with assurances of teacher quality.

Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael N. Herring is backing Brian J. Moran for governor. Herring’s endorsement comes days after Moran gave a fiery speech at the Democratic Party of Virginia’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner, in which he challenged the party to consider what type of leadership it wants. “This weekend Brian Moran made his case to lead our party and defined what’s at stake in this election,“ Herring said in a statement released by Moran’s campaign. “He believes we are the party of the people and the grass roots.“

Staking his claim as an environmental champion, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Brian J. Moran said yesterday that he opposes the construction of a coal-fired power plant in Surry County. Moran recently came out against drilling for oil off Virginia’s coast. The former delegate from Alexandria said at a news conference yesterday that the proposed coal plant is “dangerously close” to the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It also is too close to two of Virginia’s major population centers—the Richmond area and Hampton Roads—and will contribute to global warming, he said.

Joe Trippi, a veteran Democratic political consultant who served as campaign manager for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential primary bid, has joined Brian J. Moran’s gubernatorial campaign. As media director, Trippi will oversee radio, TV and online advertising, as well as serve as a general strategic adviser, according to Moran’s campaign.

Brian J. Moran and R. Creigh Deeds, rivals for the Democratic nomination for governor, are collecting fresh endorsements in vote-rich Northern Virginia. A top strategist for Terry McAuliffe, who is readying to make it a three-way primary, said some Virginians are expressing “buyer’s remorse” in backing McAuliffe’s opponents. Moran, a former delegate from Alexandria, returned yesterday to Arlington County, where he started in politics 20 years ago as a junior prosecutor, to pick up the backing of nearly a dozen elective officials.

The declining economy is having a trickle-down effect on the Democratic contest for Virginia governor. The three rivals for the party’s nomination—to be decided in an open-to-all-voters primary June 9—said last night that economic recovery is essential to protecting state jobs and services from further cuts. Sen. R. Creigh Deeds of Bath, former Del. Brian J. Moran of Alexandria and former Democratic national chairman Terry McAuliffe of McLean appeared on WVTF-FM’s “Evening Edition.“