SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2023 SESSION

  • print version
Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor
Subcommittee Energy

Spruill (Chair), Norment, Newman, Lucas, Marsden

Clerk: Hobie Lehman, Hannah Dockery
Staff: Thomas Stevens, Marvi Ali
Date of Meeting: January 25, 2023
Time and Place: 45 minutes after session / Senate Subcommittee Room 2

S.B. 1083

Patrons: Edwards, Surovell

Shared solar programs; Phase I Utility; report. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish by regulation a shared solar program that allows customers of a Phase I Utility, defined in the bill, to purchase electric power through a subscription in a shared solar facility, defined in the bill as a facility that, among other criteria, generates electricity by means of a solar photovoltaic device with a nameplate capacity that does not exceed 5,000 kilowatts. Under the program, a subscriber receives a bill credit for the proportional output of a shared solar facility attributable to that subscriber. Subscribers are required to pay a minimum bill, established by the Commission, when the bill credit reduces the subscriber's bill below the minimum bill threshold; low-income customers are exempt from the minimum bill. The bill provides that the Commission shall approve a shared solar program of 10 percent of the peak load for customers of a Phase I Utility, and a program facility shall allocate at least 30 percent of its capacity, or savings equivalent, to low-income customers or low-income service organizations. The bill directs the Department of Energy to convene a stakeholder work group for the purposes of developing incentives for certain shared solar projects and report to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Commerce and Energy and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor by November 30, 2023.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 56-594.4, relating to shared solar programs; Phase I Utility; report.

23104218D

S.B. 1125

Patron: Hackworth

Renewable energy portfolio standard requirements; State Corporation Commission authority; report. Requires electric utilities to petition the State Corporation Commission for relief from the requirements of certain provisions of the Code that mandate the retirement of electric generating units that are coal-fired or emit carbon as a by-product of combusting fuel to generate electricity if such requirements would threaten the reliability or security of electric service to customers. Under current law, such electric utilities are permitted to petition the Commission for such relief if such requirements would threaten the reliability or security of electric service to customers. The bill requires investor-owned electric utilities to submit, by December 31, 2024, and annually thereafter, a report to the Governor and the General Assembly concerning the impact of potential power generation retirements on power generation infrastructure in the Commonwealth. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to review, by December 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, provisions of the Code related to emissions trading programs, renewable energy generation requirements, and renewable energy portfolio standards and submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly with recommendations for revisions to the Code to improve energy reliability, reduce electricity rates, and incorporate available and emerging electric energy generation technologies.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-585.5 of the Code of Virginia, relating to renewable energy portfolio standard requirements; State Corporation Commission authority; report.

23103947D

S.B. 1266

Patron: Surovell

Public utilities; shared solar; minimum bill. Provides that the minimum bill a subscriber to a shared solar program is required to pay, which under current law the State Corporation Commission is required to establish, may include the basic customer charge, non-bypassable charges, and administrative costs of the shared solar program. The bill prohibits the minimum bill from exceeding twice the basic customer charge. The bill removes the requirement that the minimum bill include the costs of all utility infrastructure and services used to provide service and the requirement that the Commission, in establishing the minimum bill, consider further costs the Commission deems relevant to ensure that subscribing customers pay a fair share of the costs of providing electric services and minimize the costs shifted to customers not in a shared solar program. The bill requires the Commission to approve a shared solar facility program of at least 10 percent of the peak load for customers of each utility with a minimum requirement of 30 percent low-income customers. Under current law, the Commission is required to approve a program of 150 megawatts with a requirement for an additional 50 megawatts if a certain condition is met. Additionally, the bill requires the Commission's regulations for the shared solar program to allow all jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional customer classes to participate in the program.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-594.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to public utilities; shared solar programs; minimum bill.

23100403D

S.B. 1323

Patrons: McClellan, Hashmi

Electric utilities; energy efficiency savings targets. Requires the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to establish for Dominion Energy Virginia annual energy efficiency savings targets for customers who are low-income, elderly, disabled, or veterans of military service. The bill requires the Commission, in establishing such targets, to seek to optimize energy efficiency and the health and safety benefits of utility energy efficiency programs. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia to make best efforts to coordinate such energy efficiency programs with any health and safety upgrades provided through energy efficiency programs authorized by provisions of the Code of Virginia, when reasonably feasible to do so and at the utility's sole discretion. The bill has an expiration date of January 1, 2030.

A BILL to direct the State Corporation Commission to establish for certain electric utilities annual energy efficiency savings targets for certain customers.

23102355D

S.B. 1441

Patron: Locke

Development of offshore wind capacity; cost recovery. Provides that the State Corporation Commission shall give preference to requests for cost recovery by a Phase II Utility for generating facilities utilizing energy derived from offshore wind that maximize economic benefits to the Commonwealth. The bill also accelerates the timeline for public utilities to construct or purchase one or more offshore wind generation facilities located off the Commonwealth's Atlantic shoreline or in federal waters and interconnected directly into the Commonwealth from 2034 to 2024.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-585.1:11 of the Code of Virginia, relating to development of offshore wind capacity; cost recovery.

23102981D

S.B. 1447

Patron: Edwards

Disconnection suspensions for certain utilities; residential customers; report. Suspends electric, gas, water, or wastewater utilities from disconnecting service to a residential customer for nonpayment of bills or fees during a state of emergency declared by the Governor, and such suspension lasts for 30 days after such declaration of the state of emergency. The bill suspends electric and gas utilities from disconnecting service to a residential customer for nonpayment of bills or fees when the forecasted temperature low is at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit and suspends electric utilities from disconnecting any such customer from service when the forecasted temperature high is at or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit within the 24 hours following the scheduled disconnection. The bill also specifies that disconnections and reconnections based on a residential customer's nonpayment of bills or fees shall not involve additional fees during weather extremes. The bill further suspends electric, gas, water, and wastewater utilities from disconnecting residential customers from service on Fridays, weekends, state holidays, and the day immediately preceding a state holiday. Under the bill, certain utilities are required to report annually on residential utility disconnections beginning December 1, 2024. The bill requires the Broadband Advisory Council to convene a working group to study the feasibility and appropriateness of requiring broadband service providers to comply with the provisions of the bill. The State Corporation Commission is permitted to extend or modify the limitations created by the bill as necessary or in the public interest.

 

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3.2 of Title 44 a section numbered 44-146.29:4 and by adding in Article 2 of Chapter 10 of Title 56 a section numbered 56-245.1:3, relating to disconnection of residential utility service for nonpayment; suspension for certain utilities; report.

23104094D

S.B. 1477

Patron: Lewis

Electric utility; offshore wind affiliate. Authorizes Dominion Energy Virginia, in connection with certain offshore wind projects, to establish an offshore wind affiliate, defined in the bill, for the purpose of securing a noncontrolling equity financing partner for the project. Under the bill, such offshore wind affiliate is authorized to operate as a public utility in association with the utility. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission, in acting upon any request for associated cost recovery, to utilize the capital structure and cost of capital of the utility and to disregard the capital structure and cost of capital of any noncontrolling entity's interest in the offshore wind affiliate. The bill requires that if any ownership interest in the offshore wind affiliate is transferred to such a noncontrolling entity, the Commission to ensure, in granting any approval for the transfer or for cost recovery, that any gain on the utility's basis is credited to the utility's customers through a rate adjustment clause credit mechanism. The bill provides that such an affiliate is considered an electric supplier for the purposes of tax provisions requiring certain electric suppliers to pay a minimum tax rather than the corporate income tax for any year their minimum tax liability is greater than their corporate income tax liability.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 56-585.1:11 and 58.1-400.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electric utilities; affiliated interest for certain offshore wind projects; minimum tax for electric utilities.

23104124D

S.B. 1485

Patron: Morrissey

Natural gas utilities; retail supply choice. Allows every person access to distribution service or retail natural gas from a natural gas company authorized to provide natural gas service to the area where the service will be received. The bill prohibits a public entity from adopting an ordinance, resolution, or any other requirement that limits or prohibits customers from acquiring natural gas service and supply from both utility and non-utility gas companies. The bill prohibits public entities from denying building permits solely based on a proposed utility provider and directs public entities to ensure that all applicable permits and fees are reasonable, as compared to other utility providers, and do not restrict an applicant's ability to use the services of an authorized utility provider.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 56-265.4:7, relating to natural gas utilities; retail supply choice.

23104013D

S.B. 1496

Patron: Petersen

Natural gas utility facility replacement projects; exemption from planning, subdivision of land, and zoning provisions. Revises the definition of "natural gas utility facility replacement project" to specify that such projects are subject to the provisions that govern construction and repair permits within right-of-way lines of public roadways but are exempt from the provisions that govern planning, subdivision of land, and zoning.

A BILL to amend and reenact § 56-603 of the Code of Virginia, relating to natural gas utility facility replacement projects; exemption from planning, subdivision of land, and zoning provisions.

23104285D

S.B. 1541

Patron: Lewis

Certain electricity transmission projects.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 1-XXX, related to certain electricity transmission projects.

23105072D