Energy Efficiency
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 27 - Marshall, R.G. - Residential energy efficiency standards; exempts certain homes from federal cap & trade legislation. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources | (S) Failed to report (defeated) in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (7-Y 7-N) | 02/16/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Federal residential energy efficiency standards. Exempts any residential building from the application of federal legislation relating to residential energy efficiency standards if such building complies with the Statewide Uniform Building Code. Except to the extent required by the Statewide Uniform Building Code, the owner of such a building shall not be required by the federal government to (i) have an energy efficiency analysis conducted on his residence, (ii) have his residence meet federal energy efficiency standards, (iii) participate in a building performance labeling program, (iv) make modifications to the residence in accordance with federal legislation, or (v) post a label showing the energy efficiency of his home prior to its sale. |
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| HB 69 - Englin - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; required participation of electric utility. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Renewable energy portfolio standard. Requires each investor-owned electric utility and distribution cooperative to participate in a renewable energy portfolio standard program commencing with calendar year 2013. Under the program, each utility is required to generate renewable energy or to purchase renewable energy certificates, or both, in amounts that start in 2013 at three percent of the total electric energy sold in the base year of 2007 and that increase to 20 percent of such amount in 2020 and thereafter. Failure to meet the required percentages will result in the assessment of alternative compliance payments, which are to be paid into the newly created Virginia Sustainable Energy Fund. The measure provides that an investor-owned electric utility that was authorized to receive a performance incentive as a consequence of its participation in the renewable portfolio standard program as it existed prior to the effective date of this act shall continue to receive the incentive until the utility's next biennial rate review proceeding. |
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| HB 70 - Englin - Energy conservation; establishes statewide goal of reducing consumption of electric energy. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Energy conservation and efficiency goal. Establishes a statewide goal of reducing the consumption of electric energy within the Commonwealth, through energy conservation and efficiency actions taken by government, electric utilities, and retail customers, by 2025 to a level that is 19 percent less than the quantity of electricity that would reasonably be projected to be consumed in the Commonwealth in 2025 in the absence of such actions. The measure specifies percentages of the reductions in consumption that are to be attained through elements including energy performance improvements resulting from enhancements to the Statewide Building Code and appliance efficiency standards, improved energy performance of publicly-owned buildings, energy performance improvements in the industrial sector, and combined heat and power. Investor-owned utilities are required to address their energy efficiency and demand response management programs in their annual conservation reports. The measure also requires electric cooperatives to file assessments of impediments to their implementation of certain rate initiatives. |
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| HB 105 - Loupassi - Machinery and equipment recyclable materials; tax credit for those used by certain manufacturers. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Left in Finance | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Machinery and equipment recyclable materials tax credit. Provides that beginning January 1, 2012, machinery and equipment used in a manufacturing facility or plant unit that produces methane gas for sale through anaerobic digestion would be eligible for the tax credit. |
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| HB 645 - Cosgrove - Renewable energy; expands definition. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Stricken from docket by Commerce and Labor | 01/19/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Renewable energy. Expands the definition of renewable energy to include landfill gas. The measure also provides that the RPS Goals under the renewable energy portfolio standard program may be composed of renewable thermal energy equivalents. A renewable thermal energy equivalent is the thermal energy output from a renewable-fueled combined heat and power generation facility that is (i) constructed, or renovated and improved, after January 1, 2012, (ii) located in the Commonwealth, and (iii) utilized in industrial processes other than the combined heat and power generation facility, where thermal energy is expressed as an equivalent number of megawatt hours. |
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| HB 657 - Rust - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; adjusts mix of energy sources that qualify. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program. Adjusts the mix of energy sources that qualify as satisfying the requirements of the renewable energy portfolio standard program. The measure limits the amount of renewable energy generated outside Virginia or its coastal waters that can qualify for the program. Wind or solar power generated outside Virginia in the interconnection region of the regional transmission entity of which the participating utility is a member will not be eligible if it is purchased through a power purchase agreement entered into after July 1, 2012. The measure allows renewable energy certificates issued by an affiliate of the regional transmission entity to be used to meet the RPS Goals if the energy is from sources with an in-service date of or after July 1, 2007. Nuclear energy is ineligible for credit in meeting certain RPS Goals. The measure requires utilities to permanently retire one renewable energy certificate for each megawatt hour or renewable energy certificate claimed for compliance with RPS Goals. The measure requires that after 2017 at least 20 percent of the energy or certificates in a utility's compliance demonstration be attributable to a combination of energy derived from sunlight, onshore wind, or offshore wind; the minimum percentage increases in 2023 to 40 percent. Finally, the measure removes a provision that allowed a utility to apply excess renewable energy sales in any period to the requirements for any future RPS Goal. |
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| HB 660 - Surovell - Solar photovoltaic power production projects; VDOT to lease space within highway rights-of-way. | (H) Committee on Transportation | (H) Continued to 2013 in Transportation | 02/07/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Lease of highway space for solar electric production. Provides for VDOT analysis of desirability of leasing space within highway rights-of-way for solar photovoltaic power production projects. |
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| HB 672 - Surovell - Community Solar Gardens; created. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Distributed electric generation; community solar gardens. Authorizes the establishment of community solar gardens, which are required to be owned by a subscriber organization that has at least 10 subscribers. Subscribers will receive credits on their utility bills from energy generated at the solar facility in proportion to the size of their subscription. The output and renewable energy credits from a solar garden shall be purchased by the utility in the form of net metering credits allocated to the subscribers. To the extent that a subscriber's net metering credit exceeds the subscriber's electric bill in any billing period, the credit will be applied against future bills. If the electricity output of the community solar garden is not fully subscribed, the utility is required to purchase the unsubscribed renewable energy at a rate equal to the utility's average hourly incremental cost of electricity supply over the immediately preceding calendar year. |
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| HB 787 - Lopez - Retail Sales and Use Tax; exemption on renewable energy equipment. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2013 in Finance | 02/06/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Sales and use tax exemption; renewable energy equipment. Provides refunds of sales and use tax paid on the purchase of certain renewable energy equipment. |
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| HB 789 - Lopez - Electrical utility facilities; consideration of stability of fuel prices. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Electrical utility facilities; consideration of stability of fuel prices. Requires the State Corporation Commission, when required to approve the construction of any electrical utility facility, to consider the long-term price stability of any fuels used in the generation of energy from the facility. |
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| HB 883 - Sickles - Income tax, state; credit for solar energy equipment systems. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2013 in Finance | 02/06/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Income tax credit; solar energy equipment systems. Provides a personal and corporate income tax credit beginning January 1, 2012, for the purchase and installation of equipment that (i) generates electricity from solar energy or (ii) uses solar energy to heat or cool a structure or provide hot water. The amount of the credit would be 10 percent of the cost of purchasing and installing eligible solar energy equipment systems, capped at $1,000 per year. Any unused tax credit could be carried over for five years until all the tax credit is taken. The solar energy equipment system must provide a minimum of 10 percent of the energy needs of the structure in which it is installed, and must be approved by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. |
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| HB 894 - Ware, R.L. - Electric and natural gas utilities; energy efficiency programs. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0210) | 03/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED: Utility energy efficiency programs. Provides that an energy efficiency program proposed by an electric utility is in the public interest if, among other factors, the net present value of the benefits exceeds the net present value of the costs as determined by the Commission upon consideration of the following four tests: (i) the Total Resource Cost Test; (ii) the Utility Cost Test (also referred to as the Program Administrator Test); (iii) the Participant Test; and (iv) the Ratepayer Impact Measure Test. The Commission's determination shall include an analysis of all four tests, and a program or portfolio of programs shall not be rejected based solely on the results of a single test. An electric utility's energy efficiency program may be deemed to be in the public interest if it provides measurable and verifiable energy savings to low-income customers or elderly customers. The current standard for what constitutes a cost-effective conservation and energy efficiency program conducted by a natural gas utility is revised to conform to these new provisions for electric utilities. Finally, the measure expands the definition of "energy efficiency program" with regard to electric utilities to include customer engagement programs that result in measurable and verifiable energy savings that lead to efficient use patterns and practices. This bill is identical to SB 493. |
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| HB 911 - Minchew - Renewable energy; requires SCC to establish a program of community net metering. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Renewable energy; community net metering and renewable energy certificates. Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish a program of community net metering, which will allow a group of residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers to establish an "eligible community customer" to act collectively to generate renewable energy for their own use. Members of an eligible community customer may develop a net metered system that provides that excess generation by some members of the group will be used to offset consumption by other members within the group. The generating capacity of an eligible community customer's facility shall not exceed two megawatts at a single site. If electricity generated by the generation facility or facilities within the eligible community customer group in a year exceeds the net electricity consumption by members of the group, the utility shall reduce the eligible community customer's bill for the next monthly billing period by the amount of the excess. An eligible community customer will be exempt from the requirement that he install two-way metering equipment if the electrical generating system from which the eligible community customer obtains electricity is not physically attached to or an integral part of the building or structure where he consumes electricity, provided metering equipment measures the excess electricity from the generation facility. The measure also requires the Commission to establish a process for issuing or recognizing renewable energy certificates. The process will provide for the issuance, monitoring, transferring, and use of renewable energy certificates. |
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| HB 1017 - Poindexter - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; eliminates Performance Incentive provision. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Renewable energy portfolio standard program. Eliminates the Performance Incentive provision in the renewable energy portfolio standard program that entitles any investor-owned electric utility to a 50 basis point increase in its authorized combined rate of return on common equity if it meets the program's RPS Goals. The measure retains provisions that allow a utility to recover its costs associated with meeting the RPS Goals, but provides that a utility that exceeds the RPS Goals shall not recover the incremental costs associated with exceeding the RPS Goals unless it demonstrates that the decision to exceed the RPS Goals was reasonable and prudent. |
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| HB 1028 - Englin - Electrical utility facilities; State Corporation Commission to consider public health impacts. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Left in Commerce and Labor (0-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Approval of electrical utility facilities. Requires the State Corporation Commission, when considering requests for approval to construct electrical utility facilities, to consider the public health impacts of the electrical utility facility that have been identified in the applicant's most recent integrated resource plan. The measure also requires an electric utility's integrated resource plan to take into consideration public health impacts. |
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| HB 1102 - Miller - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; credits for investments. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0274) | 03/20/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Renewable energy portfolio standard program; credits for investments. Allows any investor-owned electric utility that participates in the renewable energy portfolio standard program to meet up to 20 percent of an RPS Goal through certificates evidencing the utility's expenses in conducting research and development activities in Virginia related to renewable or alternative energy sources. To qualify, such expenses shall either (i) be designed to enhance the participating utility's understanding of emerging energy technologies and their potential impact on and value to the utility's system and customers within the Commonwealth; (ii) promote economic development within the Commonwealth; (iii) supplement customer-driven alternative energy or energy efficiency initiatives; (iv) supplement alternative energy and energy efficiency initiatives at state or local governmental facilities in the Commonwealth; or (v) be designed to mitigate the environmental impacts of renewable energy projects. The State Corporation Commission shall issue certificates to utilities making qualified investments based on the prices for renewable energy certificates in the interconnection region of the regional transmission entity of which the utility is a member. Qualified investments are stated to be reasonable and prudent operating expenses of a participating utility. A participating utility is not authorized to recover the costs associated with qualified investments through rate adjustment clauses and is not authorized to earn a return on its qualified investments. A participating utility is not eligible for a research and development tax credit for qualified investments made under this measure. |
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| HB 1166 - McClellan - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; reporting requirements to State Corporation Commission. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0067) | 03/01/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED: Renewable portfolio standard program; reporting. Requires each utility participating in the renewable portfolio standard program to identify, in its annual report to the State Corporation Commission, the states where purchased or owned renewable energy was generated, the decades in which the renewable energy generating units were placed in service, and the fuel types used to generate the renewable energy. This bill is identical to SB 382. |
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| HB 1170 - Kory - Income tax, state and corporate; credit for service renewable energy property. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2013 in Finance | 02/06/12 |
| notes:
Grants an income tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after Jan 1, 2012, to individuals for using renewable energy property. Individuals placing into service solar panels would be allowed a tax credit: $1.25 per watt for the first 2,000 watts; $0.75 per watt for 2,001 through 8,000 watts; and $0.25 per watt for 8,001 through 20,000 watts, not to exceed $10,000 per system. The bill would allow up to $2,000 in tax credit for a solar hot water system and 10% of the installed cost of a geothermal heat pump, not to exceed $3,000. Individuals would also be allowed tax credit equal to 50% of the cost of a residential energy audit performed on their primary residence, not to exceed $250, provided the individual implemented all energy efficiency improvements recommended in the auditor's report. Tax credits for individuals under the bill would be capped at $3 million each fiscal year. The bill also grants an income tax credit for taxable years beginning on or after Jan 1, 2012, to corporations for placing into service renewable energy property. Beginning Jan 1, 2012, the bill reduces from 85% to 75% the redemption percentage for unused coalfield employment enhancement tax credits that would be paid to taxpayers who earned the credit. The 10% difference would not be paid, but accrue to the GF to offset any fiscal impact from tax credits established under the bill. |
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| HB 1177 - Watson - Virginia Energy Plan; adds to list of State's energy objectives. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0544) | 04/04/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Virginia Energy Plan; objectives. Adds to the list of the Commonwealth's energy objectives the following: (i) ensuring an adequate energy supply and a Virginia-based energy production capacity; and (ii) minimizing the Commonwealth's long-term exposure to volatility and increases in world energy prices through greater energy independence. |
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| HB 1261 - Ware, R.L. - Landlord and tenant laws; energy submetering. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0338) | 03/22/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Landlord and tenant law; energy submetering. Provides that energy submetering equipment, energy allocation equipment, water and sewer submetering equipment, or a ratio utility billing system may be used in a campground if clearly stated in the rental agreement or lease for the leased premises or dwelling unit. The bill defines campground and campsite. |
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| HJ 114 - Surovell - State renewable energy utility; joint subcommittee to study feasibility of establishing. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Study; state renewable energy utility; report. Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the feasibility of establishing a state renewable energy utility. The joint subcommittee is directed to examine the report of Delaware's Sustainable Energy Task Force, examine the feasibility of authorizing a state renewable energy utility to issue tax-exempt bonds to fund renewable energy improvements at state buildings, and determine what lessons can be learned from Delaware's experience in establishing and operating its sustainable energy utility. |
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| SB 381 - McEachin - Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. | (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (S) Passed by indefinitely in Commerce and Labor (13-Y 2-N 1-A) | 01/30/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Provides that an electric utility's integrated resource plan should identify a portfolio of electric generation supply resources that is most likely to provide the electric generation supply needed to meet forecasted demand, net of any reductions from demand side programs, so that over the long term the utility will continue to provide reliable service at reasonable prices that take into consideration public health impacts. |
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| SB 382 - McEachin - Renewable energy portfolio standard program; reporting requirements to State Corporation Commission. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0348) | 03/22/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED: Renewable portfolio standard program; reporting. Requires each utility participating in the renewable portfolio standard program to identify, in its annual report to the State Corporation Commission, the states where the purchased or owned renewable energy was generated, the decades in which the renewable energy generating units were placed in service, and the fuel types used to generate the renewable energy. This bill is identical to HB1166. |
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| SB 539 - Puller - Forward energy pricing; authorizes any public body to use mechanisms for budget risk reduction. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0204) | 03/08/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE: Procurement; forward energy pricing. Authorizes, subject to available appropriation, any public body to use forward pricing mechanisms for budget risk reduction. Forward pricing mechanisms are contracts or financial instruments that obligate the public body to buy or sell a specified quantity of energy at a future date at a set price or provide the option to buy or sell the contract or financial instrument. Forward pricing mechanism transactions may be made only if (i) the quantity of energy affected by the mechanism does not exceed the estimated energy use for the public body for the same period, (ii) the period of the mechanism does not exceed 48 months, (iii) a separate account is established for operational energy for the public body, (iv) the public body develops written policies and procedures, and (v) the public body establishes an oversight process. |
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| SB 582 - Edwards - Net energy metering; SCC shall approve utility's proposed standby charge methodology. | (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (S) Continued to 2013 in Commerce and Labor (15-Y 0-N) | 02/06/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Net energy metering; stand-by charges. Requires the State Corporation Commission, when determining whether to approve a utility's proposed standby charge methodology, to find that (i) the methodology utilized by the supplier is generally accepted in the industry for making such determinations, (ii) the methodology proposed by the supplier calculates costs based upon sample statistics derived solely from the class of residential eligible customer-generators, and (iii) the quantity of the class of residential eligible customer-generators represents a sufficient base to form reasonable statistical conclusions. These criteria are in addition to the existing requirement that the standby charges collected from eligible customer-generators allow the supplier to recover only the portion of the supplier's infrastructure costs that are properly associated with serving eligible customer-generators. The measure also provides that the supplier's infrastructure costs include, in addition to the direct costs associated with the supplier's infrastructure, an offset for any benefits derived from any net energy metering provided by eligible customer-generators to the supplier. Finally, the measure requires the Commission to deny a utility's application for standby charges if its methodology fails to consider all four of the criteria. |
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| SB 621 - Petersen - State-owned buildings; DGS to establish program requiring energy efficiency data. | (S) Committee on Finance | (S) Continued to 2013 in Finance (15-Y 0-N) | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Department of General Services; energy efficiency data for state-owned buildings. Provides for the Department of General Services to establish a program requiring an energy analysis of each state-owned building containing more than 50,000 square feet of usable space to identify opportunities for reduced energy use. By December 31, 2012, such buildings are required to obtain an energy efficiency score utilizing the Energy Star assessment and ratings program. The Energy Star score will be published on the Department's website and updated annually. |
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| SB 627 - Petersen - Solar panels; restrictions by community associations. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (S) Senate sustained Governor's veto | 04/18/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED SENATE: Solar panels in community associations. Clarifies a community association's authority to prohibit or restrict the installation of solar power devices. |
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