Percentage of Income Payment Program and Fund; DHCD & DSS to adopt rules, etc., for adoption.

Electric utilities; Percentage of Income Payment Program. Requires the Department of Social Services (the Department), in consultation with, as it deems necessary, the Department of Housing and Community Development, to adopt rules or establish guidelines for the adoption, implementation, and general administration of the Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Fund (Fund). The bill requires the PIPP to commence no later than March 1, 2022.The bill establishes the Fund for the purposes of implementing and administering the PIPP and related programs. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and American Electric Power to cooperate with the requests of the Department and the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) in the implementation and administration of the PIPP. The Commission is required to promulgate any rules necessary to ensure that funds collected from each utility's universal service fee are directed to the Fund. The bill requires the Commission to initiate proceedings to provide for an annual true-up of the universal service fee within 60 days of the commencement of the PIPP and on an annual or semiannual basis thereafter. The bill provides that the PIPP may utilize existing energy efficiency or related programs approved by the Commission. The bill authorizes the Department to determine what deficiencies exist in existing and available federal, state, local, or nonprofit programs to meet energy reduction obligations and to (i) make recommendations to the Commission or the utilities regarding such deficiency analysis and (ii) develop programs to address such deficiencies. The bill authorizes the Department to develop and implement non-utility energy efficiency programs and other programs for the reduction of energy use for eligible participants in the PIPP, provided that the Department engage in a stakeholder process and undertake a cost-benefit analysis in the development of any such programs. The bill requires that the Commission to make adjustments to the universal service fee as necessary to provide adequate funding for such programs. Additionally, the bill requires the Commission to initiate any proceedings to establish new energy efficiency or low-income programs proposed by a utility as necessary to provide service to PIPP participants over a timeframe to be determined by the Commission. The bill requires the Commission to issue an order providing for the non-bypassable universal service fee as soon as practicable following the bill's effective date.