SB267 • 2026

Electric utility infrastructure; Dept. of Energy & SCC to conduct comprehensive analysis, report.

An Act to direct the Department of Energy and the State Corporation Commission to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure; report.

Energy

Enacted

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

Sponsor: VanValkenburg
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Electric utility infrastructure; Dept. of Energy & SCC to conduct comprehensive analysis, report.

State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report.

What This Bill Does

State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report.
Directs the Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), Appalachian Power, and Dominion Energy Virginia, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects.
Provided that the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions to engage independent consulting services, the Department and the Commission shall complete the analysis and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 886 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0886)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0886)
2026-03-14 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026
2026-03-14 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-10 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-10 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-10 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-10 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB267ER)
2026-03-10 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB267)
2026-03-04 House
Read third time
2026-03-04 House
Passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House
2026-03-04 House
Passed House Block Vote (99-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-03 House
Read second time
2026-02-27 Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N)
2026-02-25 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
2026-02-25 Commerce and Labor
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB267)
2026-02-24 Labor and Commerce
Reported from Labor and Commerce and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N)
2026-02-19 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-19 House
Read first time
2026-02-19 Labor and Commerce
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce
2026-02-19 Commerce and Labor
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB267)
2026-02-16 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-16 Commerce and Labor
Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to
2026-02-16 Senate
Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-16 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-16 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-13 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-13 Commerce and Labor
Committee substitute printed 26107973D-S1
2026-02-13 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute
2026-02-12 Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-12 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-12 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-02-09 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB267)
2026-01-12 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102873D
2026-01-12 Commerce and Labor
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

Official Summary Text

State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report.
Directs the Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), Appalachian Power, and Dominion Energy Virginia, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. Provided that the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions to engage independent consulting services, the Department and the Commission shall complete the analysis and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the Department of Energy and the State Corporation Commission to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. The Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) and each Phase I and Phase II Utility, as those terms are defined in subdivision A 1 of §
56-585.1
, shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. Such analysis shall include capacity uprates for zero-carbon electric generating resources and energy storage resources and transmission upgrades, including grid enhancing technologies and high-performance conductors. The Department and the Commission shall also analyze whether there are or could be any potential voluntary regulatory pathways by which large load customers could directly finance such alternatives as a condition of accelerated interconnection. The Department and the Commission shall complete their analyses and submit a report to the General Assembly no later than December 1, 2026. Notwithstanding any provision of subsection C of §
56-585.5
of the Code of Virginia, any additional generating capacity achieved through uprates at any existing falling water resources shall be considered a renewable energy standard eligible source for the purposes of §
56-585.5
of the Code of Virginia.
§ 2. To the extent that the Department of Energy determines that it requires outside independent consultants to assist in its evaluation required under this act, the Department shall conduct an open request for proposals for such independent consulting services. Upon the conclusion of such request for proposals, the Department shall publish the results and solicit voluntary funding from private entities to finance the independent consulting. If the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions, it shall engage the necessary independent consulting services and conduct all analyses required under this act. The Department shall not conduct any such analyses unless it receives such sufficient voluntary financial contributions.