RICHMOND -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe vowed Wednesday to push to create jobs in renewable energy fields, calling for new incentives to launch and attract companies and a mandatory renewable energy threshold for utility companies.

"It's time for Virginia to be the number one renewable energy state in the country," McAuliffe said at a Richmond campaign stop.

McAuliffe's energy proposals make up the first phase of his "business plan" for Virginia that he will roll out in the coming weeks. His energy plan includes proposals that have been embraced by his two rivals for the Democratic nomination, former state Del. Brian Moran of Alexandria and state Sen. Creigh Deeds of Bath County.

McAuliffe said he would require Virginia utilities to produce 25 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2025, matching a pledge that Moran made earlier this year. He also called for tax incentives to encourage businesses to purchase renewable energy equipment such as solar panels. Deeds sponsored legislation on the same issue in the recent General Assembly session, but the proposal died in the Republican-run House of Delegates.

McAuliffe also called for a new incentive for "digestor gas systems" that can be used to convert animal waste into energy and talked enthusiastically about a Virginia Tech scientist's research on the process. McAuliffe, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said the state must offer more generous tax incentives to attract "clean-tech" industries.

"They are doing this in other states all over the country," said McAuliffe, who did not put a cost on his proposals. "We need to start doing that here in Virginia. We don't offer the tax incentives that other states offer to bring clean-tech business in."

McAuliffe also said he would create a revolving loan fund to help retrofit homes with energy-efficient equipment. And he pledged to develop at least one large offshore wind project during his term, and said components for turbines potentially could be manufactured in Southwest and Southside Virginia.