Energy

Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to HB 2.

Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to SB 72.

Department of Housing and Community Development; Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force established; report. Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, and with assistance from the Department of Social Services, the Income-Qualified Energy Efficiency and Weatherization Task Force to determine barriers to access and enrollment in the current energy efficiency programs for income-qualified energy customers and to evaluate and develop a plan to address any necessary improvements regarding coordination among state and federal government agencies for utility services and resources to more effectively deliver energy-efficient housing, weatherization resources, and energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth. The bill requires the Task Force to meet at least six times between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027, and to submit a report of its findings and recommendations no later than September 30, 2027. The bill specifies that such report shall include policy recommendations and a plan to ensure that weatherization-ready repairs and whole-home energy efficiency retrofits are provided to all eligible income-qualified individuals and households in the Commonwealth residing in multifamily buildings, single-family dwellings, and manufactured homes by December 31, 2034. This bill is identical to HB 3.

Distributed Energy Resources Task Force established; reports; sunset. Establishes the Distributed Energy Resources Task Force as an advisory commission within the executive branch with the purpose of developing a comprehensive strategy to advance the Commonwealth's transition toward integrated distributed energy resource markets and to support the Commonwealth's compliance with certain regulations. The bill describes the membership, powers, and duties of the Task Force and requires the Task Force to submit various reports to the Governor, the State Corporation Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor. The bill sunsets on July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 285.

Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals. The bill requires such utilities to submit the results of such requests for proposals as part of their 2027 plans and petitions for approval for the development of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity, which plans are required under existing law. This bill is identical to SB 508.

Electric utilities; surplus interconnection service sites. Directs Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to undertake a comprehensive assessment of available interconnection capacity at each such utility's existing and planned intermittent electric generation facilities located in the Commonwealth. The bill directs such utilities to establish pilot programs for energy storage resources and solar generation facilities that utilize surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, including a request for proposals. The bill requires such utilities to submit the results of such requests for proposals as part of their 2027 plans and petitions for approval for the development of new solar and onshore wind generation capacity, which plans are required under existing law. This bill is identical to HB 1065.

Permit requirements for data centers; emission limits for certain engine-generator sets. Prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from issuing an air permit for any application submitted for a data center on or after July 1, 2026, unless the emission limit for each engine-generator, defined in the bill, established by such permit is equal to or less than the emissions achieved by a Tier 4 equivalent engine-generator.

Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition. Provides a definition of "agrivoltaics" for the purposes of small renewable energy projects. This bill incorporates HB 899 and is identical to SB 340.

State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain proceedings. Requires the State Corporation Commission to complete proceedings involving an application for a certificate, permit, or approval required for the construction or operation by a public utility of certain transmission lines within nine months following such application, as required by current law for small renewable energy projects. The bill permits the Commission to enlarge such nine-month period for up to 120 days for applications regarding certain transmission lines. This bill is identical to SB 310.

Qualifying localities; underground electric distribution and transmission improvements; levy on utility customers by ordinance. Authorizes a qualifying locality, defined in the bill, to enter into an agreement with an electric utility to place new or proposed underground electric distribution or transmission lines and facilities or to relocate or convert existing overhead electric distribution or transmission lines and facilities underground. The bill requires any such agreement to provide that the locality pay to the utility its full additional costs of placing new or proposed electric distribution or transmission lines in the qualifying locality or relocating and converting that portion of a line located in the county underground rather than overhead, minus the net of relocation credits.The bill also provides that the qualifying locality may impose an additional levy on electric utility customers, which (i) shall not exceed $1 per month on residential customers; (ii) shall not exceed $10 per month on nonresidential customers; (iii) may be fixed at any amount on nonresidential customers that are major commercial energy consumers, defined in the bill; and (iv) shall be collected by the utility on behalf of the locality.