News Stories

The Governor signs HB2346 as substituted by Governor’s recommendation on March 24, 2025 requiring the  SCC to conduct an ex parte proceeding with Dominion and APCo to evaluate and assess the benefits, impacts, best practices, and implementation recommendations for them to establish virtual power plant programs.  This bill was cross listed with SB1100.

SB1336 as substituted by Governor’s recommendation on March 24, 2025 raises the special utility tax rates on electricity consumption under the electric utility consumption tax for consumption exceeding 50,000 kWh. The tax increase does not apply to the manufacturing sector. The bill also requires that, in addition to other uses authorized by law, revenues from utility consumption taxes only be used for SCC studies that assess load forecasts and rate impacts.  This bill was cross listed with HB2663.

HB1821  approved by the Governor as substituted recommendation on March 24, 2025.  This bill allows accelerated renewable energy buyers: (1) to enter into contracts to acquire bundled capacity, energy, and renewable energy certificates from solar, wind, or zero-carbon electricity generation resources under specified conditions; (2) to enter into contracts to obtain capacity from energy storage facilities located within APCo or Dominion service area, with the buyer exempted from non-bypassable RPS compliance costs associated with energy storage facilities: and (3) to offset all or part of their capacity requirements by procuring energy storage resources.

HB2426 was signed into law that amends the definition of small renewable energy project for the purpose of obtaining a permit by rule from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to include interconnection facilities, effective July 1, 2026.