HB1379 • 2026

Electric utilities; interconnection service standards, high-demand customers.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 23 of Title 56 a section numbered 56-596.7, relating to electric utilities; interconnection service standards; high-demand customers.</p>

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Carnegie
Last action: 2026-02-12
Official status: Continued
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specific details on how utilities will enforce the standards, leaving this as an unknown.

Electric Utilities Standards for High-Demand Customers

This bill requires electric utilities in Virginia to establish standards for connecting high-demand customers, which are designed to support economic growth while maintaining the reliability of the power grid and minimizing unnecessary costs.

What This Bill Does

Defines a 'high-demand customer' as someone who needs at least 60 megawatts of electricity during peak times.
Requires electric utilities to create standards for connecting high-demand customers that help the economy grow without harming the reliability of the power grid or causing unnecessary costs.
Recommends that high-demand customers install backup power systems capable of handling half their peak demand before getting connected.
Allows existing high-demand customers to gradually increase their backup power capacity over time, reaching 20% by 2032.
Gives utilities the authority to ask high-demand customers with backup power to use it during emergencies.

Who It Names or Affects

Electric utilities in Virginia
High-demand electricity users

Terms To Know

High-Demand Customer: A customer who needs at least 60 megawatts of electricity during peak times.
Interconnection Service: The process by which a high-demand customer connects to the electric grid.

Limits and Unknowns

Does not specify how utilities will enforce these standards.
Details about exemptions and confidential information are included but may be complex for some readers.

Bill History

2026-02-12 Labor and Commerce
Continued to 2027 in Labor and Commerce (Voice Vote)
2026-02-10 Subcommittee #3
Subcommittee recommends continuing to 2027 (Voice Vote)
2026-02-08 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB1379)
2026-01-27 Subcommittee #3
Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3
2026-01-21 House
Presented and ordered printed 26104774D
2026-01-21 Labor and Commerce
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

Official Summary Text

Electric utilities; interconnection service standards; high-demand customers.
Requires the State Corporation Commission to establish standards for interconnection service by an electric utility to high-demand customers, as defined in the bill, in the Commonwealth that are designed to support economic growth in the Commonwealth while maintaining the reliability of the electric grid and minimizing the potential for stranded infrastructure costs.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 23 of Title 56 a section numbered
56-596.7
, relating to electric utilities; interconnection service standards; high-demand customers.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 23 of Title 56 a section numbered
56-596.7
as follows:

§
56-596.7
. Interconnection
service standards for
hig
h-demand
customers.

A. As used in this section:

"High-demand customer" means
an electric service customer
requiring

interconnection
service

with a total peak
electric
demand of 60 megawatts
or greater
.

"Interconnection service" means the same as that term is defined in 16 U.S.C. § 2621(d)(15).

"On-site backup generation facilities" means
on-site
zero-carbon
electric
ity

generation
resources

owned by a high-demand customer
.

"Zero-carbon
electricity
"
means the same as that term is defined in §
56-585.5
.

B.
T
he
Commission shall establish standards for
interc
onnection service
by an electric utility
to
high-demand customers in the Commonwealth
that are
designed to support
economic growth in the Commonwealth while
maintaining the reliability of the electric grid and
minimizing
the potential for stranded infrastructure costs.

No
electric utility
shall be
considered
to have violated its duty to furnish adequate service pursuant to §
56-234
solely because such
electric
utility
requires a high-demand cu
stomer to comply with such standards as a condition of interconnection
.

Such
standards shall include:

1. A requirement that
prior to a
ny
new interconnection,
a high-demand customer shall
install on-site
backup generation facilities
that, in the aggregate, can serve at least 50 percent of such customer's on-site
peak
demand
;

2.
A

requirement that by January 1, 2032,
each
high-demand customer

receiving interconnection

service
prior to the development of such standards
shall develop
on-site backup generation that, in the aggregate, can serve at least 20 percent of such customer's on-site peak demand;

3.
A
load threshold at which the interconnecting electric utility may direct high-demand customers with on-site backup generation facilities to deploy such facilities or curtail load before or during an emergency alert
;

4.
A method for
a
high-demand customer to
apply for an
exemption to such requirements
on the basis that
the
required
installation of on-site backup generation facilities

is technically infeasible
; and

5.
A procedure to allow
the Commission to access any information collected by the interconnecting electric utility to ensure co
mpliance with such standards. Any information collected pursuant to this section is confidential and not subject to disclosure under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§
2.2-3700
et seq.).