Energy

Utility consumer services cooperatives; substation construction agreements. Permits an electric cooperative to enter into an agreement to construct a substation with a member receiving regulated electric service, with an electric demand of at least 20 megawatts during the most recent calendar year, that requires a point of interconnection with a transmission line system of 230 kilovolts or more. The bill provides that, upon final completion of a substation constructed under such an agreement, the member shall transfer ownership of such substation to the cooperative for the cooperative to operate and maintain at the member's sole expense. Under the bill, the costs of acquisition, operation, or maintenance of such a substation shall be excluded from the cooperative's general and base rates and shall not be recovered from any other ratepayer. This bill is identical to SB 377.

Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated clean energy buyers. Revises the conditions under which accelerated clean energy buyers, defined in existing law as accelerated renewable energy buyers, may contract with Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia to obtain renewable energy certificates (RECs). The bill exempts an accelerated clean energy buyer obtaining capacity, energy, or RECs from qualifying resources or facilities from the assignment of non-bypassable costs associated with compliance with the renewable portfolio standard program based on the amount and type of renewable energy certificates obtained in proportion to such accelerated clean energy buyer's total electric energy consumption. This bill is identical to SB 598.

Electric utilities; virtual power plant program; electric cooperatives. Authorizes electric cooperatives to establish and implement a virtual power plant program. The bill defines a virtual power plant as an aggregation of distributed energy resources, enrolled either directly with an electric cooperative or indirectly through an aggregator, that are operated in coordination to provide one or more grid services. Under the bill, an electric cooperative may offer incentives to residential customers to purchase battery storage devices and is required to evaluate various methods to optimize demand. This bill is identical to SB 487.

Virginia Solar Energy and Battery Energy Storage Systems Grant Program. Establishes the Virginia Solar Energy and Battery Energy Storage Systems Grant Program (the Program), subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, for the purposes of (i) coordinating and supporting the development of solar energy and short duration battery energy storage industries and projects by public or private entities; (ii) evaluating and approving solar energy and short duration battery energy storage projects as qualified projects for the purposes of the Program; and (iii) determining which items and services are considered eligible project costs for a given qualified project, as defined in the bill. The bill provides requirements for what can be considered a qualified solar energy and short duration battery energy storage project based on whether the use of such project is for a residential, commercial and industrial, or utility-scale project. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Energy to monitor allocation of the grant awards and maintain a public dashboard displaying certain information on the solar energy and short duration battery energy storage installations.