Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase I Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Appalachian Power Company. The bill permits excess bill credits to be distributed to shared solar subscribers more than once annually. The bill also requires the utility in administering its shared solar program to require net crediting functionality for customer utility bills, as described in the bill. The bill also directs Appalachian Power to (i) release an additional 50 megawatts as part two of the shared solar program on July 1, 2026; (ii) release a further additional 50 megawatts as part three of the shared solar program by January 1, 2028; and (iii) petition the Commission to initiate a shared solar expansion proceeding to determine the capacity for part four of the shared solar program by May 1, 2029. See final enactments for bill effective date. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 255.
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Electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility. Amends certain provisions related to the shared solar program established by the State Corporation Commission for Dominion Energy Virginia. Under the bill, Dominion Energy Virginia is authorized to release an additional 525 megawatts of capacity as part two of such program upon the earlier of (i) a determination that at least 90 percent of the aggregate program capacity has been subscribed and project construction is substantially complete or (ii) July 1, 2026. The bill directs Dominion Energy Virginia to petition the Commission to initiate a proceeding to determine the capacity for part three of such program on or before part two of such program is substantially complete for 268 megawatts of capacity. The bill directs the Commission to evaluate the costs and benefits of the shared solar program under such proceeding and to consider the results of such proceeding in determining any future allocations of shared solar capacity and changes in program design. The bill directs the Commission to update its regulations on shared solar programs to comply with the provisions of the bill by December 31, 2026, and to require each participating utility to file any tariffs, agreements, or forms necessary for implementation of such programs by March 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 254.
Substantial risk orders; eligible petitioners; substantial risk factors and considerations; court jurisdiction; constructive possession of firearms; penalty. Expands the list of persons eligible to file a petition for an emergency substantial risk order. The bill provides various factors that a judge or magistrate shall consider for the purpose of determining whether to issue an emergency substantial risk order or a substantial risk order. The bill expands court jurisdiction over substantial risk orders from circuit courts to juvenile and domestic relations district courts and general district courts and requires petitions against minors to be filed in juvenile and domestic relations district courts. The bill requires a copy of the order to be served on the parent or guardian of the minor at any address where the minor resides or the local board of social services in the case where the minor is the subject of a dependency or court-approved out-of-home placement. The bill also provides the process for which firearms not owned by the subject of a petition are returned to the lawful owner of such firearms. The bill provides that any emergency substantial risk order or substantial risk order issued remains in full force and effect pending any appeal. Lastly, the bill provides that any person that makes a materially false statement or representation to a court during the petitioning process is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. This bill is identical to SB 495.
Virginia National Guard; reports to the General Assembly; state militias; work group; report. Requires the Adjutant General to submit an annual report to the General Assembly detailing federal and state deployments of the Virginia National Guard and other matters relating to retention, readiness, funding, and resources. The bill prohibits the Governor from calling forth the Virginia National Guard for the purpose of intimidating, threatening, or coercing, or attempting to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, a person in giving his vote or ballot or to deter or prevent such person from voting. The bill additionally prohibits armed militia from another state, territory, or district from entering the Commonwealth for the purpose of active military duty over the objection of the Governor without meeting certain conditions. The bill allows certain members of the General Assembly to request that the Attorney General assess the legality of the deployment of the (i) National Guard of another state within the Commonwealth or (ii) Virginia National Guard. Finally, the bill directs the Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs to convene a work group to assess the most appropriate manner and process by which the Governor and members of the General Assembly should respond to deployments of the Virginia National Guard. This bill is identical to SB 337.
Members of the Virginia State Bar; rules and regulations relating to schedule of fees. Increases from $250 to $350 the annual fee cap that an attorney member of the Virginia State Bar may be required to pay pursuant to any rules and regulations promulgated related to fixing a schedule of fees.
Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission. The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to SB 448.
Department of Environmental Quality; industrial wastewater; publicly owned treatment works; PFAS monitoring. Directs every publicly owned treatment works (POTW) to require certain new or industrial users of such POTW to perform and report to such POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from a laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) for an initial characterization period of one year, provided, however, that such POTW may discontinue remaining quarterly monitoring by an industrial user with proper monitoring results that are below the method detection level for the first two quarters. If an industrial user detects PFAS in any amount above the detection method limit in its initial year of quarterly monitoring, the bill requires such industrial user to continue to perform and report to the POTW no later than 30 days after receipt from the laboratory the results as received of quarterly discharge monitoring for PFAS. The bill requires a POTW that receives PFAS monitoring results to report such results to the Department of Environmental Quality on a quarterly basis. Finally, the bill directs any POTW to notify an owner or operator of an industrial user subject to the monitoring requirements of the bill of the requirement to submit the initial quarterly monitoring results for PFAS within 30 days of the effective date of the bill. This bill is identical to SB 138.
Electric utilities and licensed suppliers of electricity; regional transmission entity; annual report. Requires each investor-owned utility or licensed supplier that joins or establishes the regional transmission entity (PJM Interconnection, LLC) to submit an annual report to the State Corporation Commission by February 1 of each year. Such report shall include (i) all recorded votes cast by the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, (ii) all votes cast by an affiliate of the utility or licensed supplier at a meeting during the immediately preceding calendar year, and (iii) a brief description explaining how each recorded vote is in the public interest. The provisions of the bill do not apply to municipal utilities or certain electric cooperatives. This bill is identical to SB 777.
Virginia Consumer Protection Act; prohibited practices; kratom products. Prohibits selling or offering for sale (i) any kratom product to a person younger than 21 years of age; (ii) any kratom product that does not include a label listing all ingredients and the required disclosure; (iii) any kratom product not stored in an area that is not directly accessible to consumers, including behind a retail counter or in a locked display case, except for kratom products required to be refrigerated which may be stored, in accordance with relevant Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority regulations, in the same beverage cooler or refrigerator as wine and beer; (iv) any kratom product containing any synthesized material, semi-synthetic alkaloid, or synthetic kratom-like compound; (v) any kratom product containing 7-hydroxymitragynine in an alkaloid fraction exceeding one percent of total alkaloids in the container or providing more than one milligram of 7-hydroxymitragynine per serving; (vi) any kratom product adulterated with any dangerous, poisonous, or otherwise deleterious non-kratom ingredient, including any substance listed as a controlled substance under state or federal law; (vii) any kratom product that is combustible or intended for vaporization or injection; (viii) any kratom product that is manufactured, packaged, or marketed in a manner attractive to children; or (ix) any kratom extract product containing residual solvent levels exceeding applicable statutory or pharmacopeial limits.
Electric utilities; performance-based regulation; work group; report. Directs the State Corporation Commission to independently consider whether elements of an effective performance-based regulatory framework to evaluate and potentially improve electric utility performance and cost control incentives in the Commonwealth are in the public interest and to develop related legislative recommendations. The bill requires the Commission to include its findings and recommendations in a report required by existing law by July 1, 2027. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to SB 251.